The Legend of William: The Winter's Fury
by Ozymandiaz
Summary: Story has been Updated to full. Please Enjoy
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. But Fear sometimes clouds our vision. Sometimes our strength gives out, and yet, when all seems lost, a light shines through the darkness, and reminds us that even the smallest amount of courage can turn the tides of war…_

Deep in the world's core, the Great Purple dragon known as Malefor was imprisoned in the core by the spirits of the very ancestors who trained him in ages past. Nearby, the two young dragons known as Spyro and Cynder came to a landing.

"Spyro, I'm sorry." The young dragoness said. "I'm so sorry!"

Cynder was referring to the fact that it had been _she_ who had lured Spyro into freeing the Dark Master.

"Don't be." Spyro reassured. "It's over now."

The Purple crystal beneath them emitted massive amounts of energy, which proceeded to tear the cavern walls asunder. The walls gave away to reveal the eternal blackness of space.

"So this is it?" Cynder asked, looking up at the Golden sun and shining stars in the abyss. Spyro looked away from her, shutting his eyes and frowning. He knew that their demise was inevitable, but he couldn't bear to speak of it.

Suddenly, a voice spoke to the young Purple dragon. It was the voice of Ignitus, his mentor.

"Spyro, when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world." The Fire dragon said. "His spirit lives on, binding itself with nature, offering hope for the future…"

Spyro opened his eyes, coming to realization.

"I know what I need to do." He stated. He turned to look at the dragoness. "Just get out of here Cynder."

"Spyro, no." She replied. "You don't have to do anything. Let's just go."

"Where Cynder?" Spyro exclaimed. "There'll be nothing left! The world is breaking apart!"

He looked at the ground, disappointed.

"But I think I can stop it." He added. "I think I'm meant to."

"Then I'm with you." Cynder replied, getting closer.

Spyro looked at her just before closing his eyes once more. He then levitated about a foot off the Crystal floor, the mighty energy known as Convexity gathering into his body. Cynder stepped closer to him and shut her eyes.

"I love you."

Spyro unleashed a great torrent of energy, which exploded outwards in all directions and grasped the planet that was falling to pieces around them.

Slowly but surely, the remains of the planet were recombined. Not all of the pieces of the planet remained: They were destroyed by the Ring of Annihilation after its completion. However, the planet's own energy flowed across it, forming new landmasses, and new oceans. Some of the pieces of the planet were placed in areas they previously never were.

In a way, Malefor's scheme was a success. The old world was replaced by a new one. A New Age of the Dragon race had begun.

…

Ignitus, now The New Chronicler, closed the book he was reading from and sat it down on the table with a thud.

"The journey is coming to an end." He said. "But not without another adventure."

The Teal-hided dragon walked over to another table, upon which a different book sat untouched.

"And now, to recall the tale of another hero. A hero who changed the lives of Spyro and Cynder forever, even after their lives ended."

…

Late at night, in Manhattan, New York.

Police sirens wailed in the distance as the young teenager walked through the streets of Manhattan. The streets were abundant with Taxis and talking bystanders, all of whom were going about their usual routines. The noise of the hustle and bustle made it hard for the teen to think straight. Though that was typical for anyone who lived in NYC.

His name was William. He was roughly sixteen years old, with an average build. He had messy black hair, and emerald eyes. His clothes were messy and ragged, with more than a few holes.

_People spit at me, degrade me, and call me "street rat"_, he thought to himself angrily as he walked onwards. _But I just look at them, and don't say a word._

William came to a stop at a small alleyway, which was parallel to central park. Ever since his parents died, no one ever wanted him. So, he had to make this alley his home.

_If I'm lucky, maybe something might come my way, and lead me to a better life. A life where people actually give a damn about me._

William's alley was decorated with various nick-knacks he had collected during his life. Practically all of them were damaged in some way, shape or form. However, he still tried to care for them as best as he could.

His most prized possession of all was his drawing pad. William walked up to the pad, picked it up, sat down and started drawing.

Ever since he was a small boy, William was gifted with amazing drawing capabilities. Throughout his life, he drew various pictures of numerous things: Famous celebrities, Historic figures, National Landmarks, Superheroes, and the like. But his favorite drawings were ones of characters of his own invention.

Over the years, William had been having incredible dreams of a magnificent Purple dragon. These dreams were so incredible, William felt the desire to bring the dragon, as well as a whole host of other characters, to life in the form of drawings on paper. William also rearranged the many images in his dreams to form a story. Hundreds of pieces of crumpled-up paper were scattered allover the alleyway.

"Sometimes, it seems you guys are the only people that make me smile each day."

William's current drawing was of an enormous Purple dragon, locked in battle against two smaller dragons: another Purple dragon, whom William named Spyro, and a young black dragoness, named Cynder. The three dragons were fighting deep in the planet's crystal core.

William stood there, amazed at his own handiwork yet again, and put it with the rest of his story. Deep in a nearby green trashcan stood a neat pile of well-kept papers.

William put the page with the others, marveling at their brilliance. In one picture, Spyro was playing with his best friend, a small yellow dragonfly named Sparx. In another picture, Spyro was talking with Cynder, who was running away from the Temple that they called home with a sad expression on her face. But William's favorite picture of all was the previous one he drew, before the one of the battle. In the masterpiece, Spyro stood in a gigantic Avatar-like form, using his power to save the world from utter destruction. Cynder stood nearby, whispering to the Purple dragon.

"I love you."

William smiled at his work.

"If only, one day, I could find true love myself." He said. His smile turned into a frown.

"If only I was a dragon too, and able to hang out with you guys."

William laid down on the cold hard cement. He was slowly drifting off into sleep.

"If only…"

With those last words, William finally slipped into unconsciousness, where he could have yet another wonderful dream of Spyro, Cynder, and the others.

Little did he realize, those dreams would soon become his reality.


	2. A Message in Paper

Chapter 1: A message in Paper

Cold water splashed across William's face as a bucket struck him across the temple.

"Wakey Wakey, Beggar!" someone shouted.

William woke with a start, and was met with the sight of three teenagers, all of them standing over him. Each of them had their own story.

The one on the left was Jose, a boy from Mexico who came across the border illegally with his family about three years ago. They silently moved to Manhattan, and have been living there ever since.

The boy on the right was an asian kid named Tom Chet. He grew up in Nebraska, and moved to NYC to save on money.

The worst of the bunch was the one who threw the bucket: Miguel.

Miguel was also an illegal, with a thick build, a greasy complexion, black eyes, and thick brown hair. Some rumors on the streets say that Miguel murdered three people just prior to his arrival in Manhattan. And with the way the Latino behaved, William believed every word of it.

"You should know by now that you gotta pay us to sleep on this part of town." Tom said, sneering.

"Word" Jose added, idiotically. He wasn't the most intelligent of the trio.

William got to his feet, shivering from the cold water and holding his head, which had a small gash on its side from where the bucket hit him.

"Guys, I'm sorry!" He pleaded. "I'll have the money by next week. Just please, don't break anything!"

Miguel stepped forwards, glaring into William's green eyes.

"You know what the consequence for stiffing me is." Miguel sneered. He snapped his fingers, and Tom and Jose immediately lunged at William.

The two older boys knocked William backwards, grabbed him, and held him against the wall of the brownstone's side.

"I really would have thought you learned your lesson after what happened _last time_." Miguel said. "I guess I was wrong."

William flailed around, swinging his arms and kicking wildly, using the skills his dad once taught him to get out this tight spot. Unfortunately, Tom and Jose were dirty fighters: the Mexican kicked poor William in the groin, causing him to cry out in pain.

Meanwhile, Miguel wandered across the alleyway, breaking everything William owned even more then they already were. William didn't care about most of his possessions, as they were trivial and mostly-useless. However, the things William **did** care about were his drawings. He had hoped that Miguel wouldn't find them, as they were his pride and joy.

Unfortunately, Miguel **did** find them.

"Well, looky what I found _here_!" Miguel chided, pulling William's pile of drawings out of their hiding place in the trashcan. William gasped in horror.

"Oh no!" William shouted.

"Gee, by the sound of things, they must be really _important_ to you, aren't they?" Miguel chuckled, his face glowing with evil intent.

William saw Miguel pull a switchblade out of his pocket.

"I hope you don't mind if I make some… _minor edits_." Tom and Jose laughed.

"NO!" William shouted frantically.

"What's that? You don't mind? **PERFECT!**"

William watched in despair as Miguel used his blade to slice his drawings to shreds. All the while, Tom and Jose's laughter filled the alley. Soon, tiny scraps of paper scattered on the ground, some of which were blown away by the wind.

Miguel turned and faced William, his expression turning to a glare.

"I ain't done _yet_, street rat." He sneered.

As Miguel walked towards William, Tom and Jose forced Will to hold his right hand out towards the blade-wielding Latino. William panicked as Miguel grabbed it with his own free hand.

With one swoop, Miguel sliced through part of William's palm, causing him to pain.

"Let _this_ serve as a prelude to what's going to happen if you stiff me **again**, street rat!"

Immediately, Tom and Jose tossed William hard onto the ground. Miguel and his two cronies then left the poor boy, laughing at him as they walked away.

William curled up off the ground and sat there, clutching his bleeding hand. He looked around at his now desolate alley, devoid of anything but the gravel of the ground.

"Bastards." He exclaimed, struggling to fight back tears. "If only I was a dragon like Spyro! Then I'd be able to teach those assholes a fucking lesson!"

William tended to his wound as best as he could, and lied down in one of the far corners of the alley. He slowly cried himself to sleep.

"If only…"

That night, William had more dreams of Spyro and Cynder. One of these dreams showed the two young dragons finally chasing each other across the skies above the Valley of Avalar. They were finally happy.

William had another dream that night. However, it was no dream.

It was a portal, which would take him to another land….


	3. Feelings

Chapter 2: Feelings

The Next morning, in the Valley of Avalar…

Scores of songbirds let out their songs, their melodious chirps filling the air. The young Purple dragon looked onwards at the valley, concern on his face.

Off in the distance, Spyro saw that the Cheetahs, the Cat race that lived across the Valley, were celebrating uproariously.

_Why are the Cheetahs celebrating?_, the young dragon wondered to himself. _We are at war…_

Suddenly, Spyro remembered.

"We won…" He said to himself, astonished. And then, he repeated his statement, this time cheering.

"WE WON! WE ACTUALLY WON!" He jumped into the air and spun around in a dance of joy.

The young Purple dragon was happy, for himself, and everyone else in the dragon realms. But most of all, he was happy for Cynder.

…

Spyro sat on the hilltop, enjoying the breathtaking sight of Avalar at midday. The many thick trees were rustling in the wind, and the plants were at full bloom. The sun shined brightly in the sky, and the river waters calmly ran about their course.

The Valley of Avalar was almost completely unchanged. After the whole world got reconstructed, massive parts of the planet had been rearranged, added to, or simply wiped from existence.

For instance, The city of Warfang was now in the middle of a massive Plain that stretched from the Valley of Avalar on the West, to a mighty forest that grew to the far East.

Another example was the relocation. and transformation, of the remains of the Mountain of Malefor. Massive new rock formations had risen out of the earth all across the northern part of the continent, with the remains of the Mountain of Malefor at their center. An entirely new Mountain had risen up around the previous one. This new mountain was so extraordinary in its height, it could almost be seen from where Spyro was sitting on the hill.

_I wonder what they're going to call the Mountain of Malefor now?_ Spyro shook his head. _Oh, it doesn't matter right now anyway._

As Spyro sat on the hill, he spotted several flowers growing nearby. He gazed at one that matched the colors of Cynder's eyes: An incredible Emerald color.

_That flower would be perfect for Cynder_, Spyro decided, smiling.

He picked the flower and started to get up, when something occurred to him.

Where _was_ Cynder.

"Cynder?" He asked, being responded to by nothing but the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the songbirds.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked again, starting to break off into a sprint.

"CYNDER!" He exclaimed, his shouted echoing across Avalar. He took into flight and dashed through the air at incredible speed.

Where could she be? Was she in danger? Was she horribly injured, and unable to call for help? The more Spyro thought about the possibility, the more frantic he became in his search for her.

…

About an hour later, Spyro finally found her. The young Black dragoness was lying in the next valley, asleep in a patch of Purple Roses. Spyro flew down to her posthaste, and surveyed her unconscious form.

Cynder the most breathtaking dragoness that Spyro had ever lay eyes on. The sunlight made her Pitch Black scales glisten, she silently snored peacefully and calmly, and the most wonderful scent coming from her form.

Ever since Cynder was finally freed of Malefor's control and returned to the form of a young dragon, the young Purple dragon couldn't help but fall in love with her. He found himself worrying about her well-being practically all the time back when they were living in the Temple, and was practically heartbroken to see her flee from their home. And when she became corrupted by Malefor once again, Spyro had nothing left to fight for.

But that was in the past now. Malefor was gone, the world was saved, and Cynder now lay before him. All was right with the world.

Spyro ran his forepaw over Cynder's head, and took her lovely aroma Slowly but surely, the dragoness woke from slumber.

"…Spyro?" She asked, opening her eyes.

"I'm right here." The Purple dragon responded, looking out at the sunset.

Cynder got up onto all fours and walked up to Spyro, looking into his Purple eyes. They sat there for over ten minutes, taking in each other's gaze, until Cynder finally broke the silence.

"Spyro?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"I, uh, I was wondering something.."

"What?" The Purple dragon asked, concerned.

"When we were fighting against Malefor in the planet's core, do you remember what I told you?"

Spyro sat there for a moment, not saying a word. And then, he turned to face Cynder, tears in his eyes and a Green flower in his paw.

"Yes." He finally answered. "And I want to say that I love you too Cynder. When you left the Temple, it saddened me more than anyone can ever imagine. Whenever I'm by you, all my Fears drain away, which is why I say this, Cynder…"

Spyro walked up to the Black dragoness and put his head against hers, and wrapped both of his forelegs around her.

"Cynder, you are the one true thing that makes me wake up every morning. In the little time we've spent together, you have filled my life with joy and laughter. I would go anywhere to save you Cynder, even if it meant risking my own life for yours."

Spyro finished his words and hugged Cynder tighter. The Purple dragon nearly jumped when the dragoness did the same.

"Spyro, I would do the same for you." She said softly. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be controlled by the Dark Master. You saved me from certain peril with the Golem, and even with the chain connecting us, you continued to make me keep going."

After this, both dragons looked at each other intimately, and leaned forwards for their first kiss. Spyro and Cynder wouldn't be happier than this for years to come.

Suddenly, without a sound, a small mark appeared on Spyro and Cynder's wings. It was two brass rings connected to each other. Neither of them noticed the rings, nor would they have cared anyway.

To the West of the valley, all was quiet. The birds ceased their singing, and the bugs began shrieking. All was peaceful…

Suddenly, without warning, creatures burst out of the bushes. Each and every one of them looked like animated pieces of earth, and they wielded swords in their arms….

_**I Would Like to say thank you anyone reading this Story it is my first I have ever made. And I would like to give thanks for**_** spyrolink who has given me words of encouragement. But enough about that, Who are these mysterious creatures and what do they plan on doing **


	4. A Dragon lends a hand

Chapter 3: A Dragon lends a hand

William opened his eyes to the breathtaking sun. Never before had he felt more at ease than at this exact moment. Why he felt this way, he couldn't decipher. But really, does one need an excuse to feel at ease?

William got up off the ground and tried to walk into the street… when he noticed something odd. There was no street. Or Cars, or people, or any of the sounds of the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. In fact, William was surprised to find that he wasn't in Manhattan at all!

All around him, there was only grass, the sounds of chirping and flowing water, and a massive Jungle to his left.

"Where the hell am I?" William asked, looking around at the meadow around himself. "It feels… familiar, somehow. As if I've been seen all this before.."

When William was going to take another step forwards, he realized that he was not on two legs, but on all fours. When he tried to get up on his legs, he toppled over and fell down the hill he _also_ failed to notice was before him.

William rolled down the hill with chaotic speed, suddenly slamming into someone and knocking them to their feet. When William was finally able to right himself, he turned to apologize.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean t-"

The teenager froze in surprise. The guy he knocked over wasn't a guy at all!

It was a Cheetah, walking upright, and wearing an odd assortment of robes.

_Holy crap_, William thought to himself.

The Bipedal Cheetah dusted himself off and turned to face William.

"Uh…" The teenager stammered, not sure what to say.

"No need to worry, young dragon." The Cheetah said, which surprised William. "I have grown accustomed to this kind of behavior from my companions."

Wait a minute.

"Did you say 'young _dragon_'?" William asked, skeptically.

"Of course."

"Okay, man, clearly you hit your head when I knocked you down. I'm obviously not-"

William froze in surprise when he looked at his hands. They weren't hands, but _paws._

"What the…?"

Immediately, William ran, on all fours, to the nearest water spring to look at himself. What he saw left him completely dumbstruck.

He didn't see himself in his reflection. Instead, he saw a dragon. And a most peculiar one at that.

One right side of his face was Pitch Black, while the right side was Snow White. The front half of his body was also White, while the other half was Completely Black. He had a silver underbelly, and two silver horns that curved like ram's horns. His tail had a crescent moon-shaped blade on the end. The only thing that was the same was his Emerald Green eyes.

"What…the… fuck?…" He asked himself, confused.

The Cheetah person walked up to William's side.

"Is something the matter, young dragon?" He asked, concerned.

"Uh, no, not at all." William replied, smiling awkwardly. "Nevermind."

The Cheetah's expression remained unchanged.

"If you say so, young dragon." He replied. "Which reminds me: I do not believe I've introduced myself. I am known as Hunter."

_Hunter?_

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hunter." William greeted. "My name is William. Sorry for interrupting you."

"It is alright, William. Though if you excuse me, I really must be getting on my way. I am searching for my companions: Spyro and Cynder."

William nearly jumped.

_Spyro and Cynder?_

"Good luck finding them." William replied.

"Thank you."

Hunter turned and sprinted up the hill, vanishing from view.

Now that he was gone, William could properly freak out.

"Spyro and Cynder? No way!" He exclaimed. "This can't be real! I couldn't possibly be a dragon! Maybe I hit my head, and this is all some crazy dream."

William decided to focus on this thought.

"Yeah… This is all a dream…"

After a moment, William looked at himself again.

Everything felt so real.

He could the dirt beneath all four of his paws. The Icy wind was blowing against his scales, making him shiver slightly. The river waters ran clearly. And William's heart beat steadily in his chest.

"Even if this is all just a dream…" He decided. "…It's a pretty incredible experience. Maybe I can try to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.."

William looked around at the area, wondering what he should do first with his new draconic form.

"Hey, maybe I'll go help Hunter find Spyro and Cynder."

Deciding that this was a good idea, William began to walk towards the hill, following after Hunter.

Suddenly, the young dragon heard noises coming from out of a bush that was across the meadow.

"Huh?" He asked.

Curious, William turned around and ran towards the source of the noise. He followed it all the way into a clearing. The young dragon gasped in surprise.

He saw several monsters called Grublins, all of which were surrounding two young dragons.

…

"Back off, you green maggot!" Spyro exclaimed, striking a Grublin in the back of the head. Unfortunately, it got right back up and attacked allover again.

Spyro was in a terrible predicament. He was surrounded on all sides by Grublins, with absolutely no Magic whatsoever. He had managed to get Cynder to hide behind a tree, and was keeping the Green freaks distracted. Spyro didn't know if the dragoness had any magic, but chances are, probably not.

_What am I going to do?_ He though, worried. _If I die, they'll surely go after Cynder behind the tree. Oh, we're so screwed!_

The Grublins continued their onslaught, attacking Spyro repeatedly with their swords. Each successful strike made Spyro grow weaker and weaker. He couldn't hold out for much longer..

And then, something unexpected happened.

A bizarre, Black-and-White Dragon came running out of the Bushes, heading directly for the Grublins.

_What madness is THAT?_ Spyro exclaimed in his head.

The strange dragon unleashed a Torrent of a bizarre Black-and-White energy at several of the Grublins in front of Spyro, killing them in mere seconds.

"Stay the hell away from them!" The dragon exclaimed at the surviving Grublins.

_Wow…_ Spyro thought, astonished.

Before the Purple dragon could do anything else, he suddenly felt pain on the back of his head, and blacked out.

…

Just moments after William sounded his warning, the Grublins completely ignored him, instead going after Spyro. One of the Grublins managed to sneak up on the distracted Purple dragon and strike him in the back of the head, knocking him out instantly.

As soon as this happened, the Black dragoness Cynder came running out of her hiding place.

"SPYRO!" She exclaimed, horrified.

Immediately, the Grublins charged after her. However, William charged forwards as well, unleashing another blast of the strange dual-colored energy.

One by one, every last Grublin fell to the ground, dissolving into the earth as they died.

Cynder ran up to the unconscious form of Spyro, tears flowing from her eyes. She cradled his head in her arms before kissing his forehead and rubbing her head against his.

"Oh, Spyro…" She stated

"He'll be alright." William said, walking up to the two dragons. Cynder studied the stranger carefully, not sure of what to make of him.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is William. But we don't have time to chat. We need to get Spyro to Warfang as soon as possible: He needs medical aid."

William lifted Spyro up and slumped him over his back.

"How do you know his name?" Cynder demanded.

"It's too hard to explain. And we don't have time for me to explain it either!"

William spread his wings and launched himself into the air. It wasn't an easy task. Even though flying felt strangely natural to him, it was difficult to do with another dragon riding on top of him.

Cynder chased after William.

'Why should I trust you when I don't know where you're from, _and_ you refuse to answer my questions?" She demanded

"Because, I saved you from the attack, and if you don't, then Spyro will die!" William replied, adamant. "So please, just listen to me!"

"Well then, I guess you're right." She stated. "Lead on."

"There's just one problem."

"What?"

"Which direction is Warfang?" William asked.

Cynder sighed.

"I don't know." She replied sadly. "So much of the world has changed in so little time. Warfang could be **anywhere**, right now. We might not make it in time to.."

"Don't go getting pessimistic, Cynder!" William declared. "That kind of thinking won't help you."

"But how are we going to find Warfang?" She asked. William sighed.

"Well, we're just going to have to pick a direction and hope for the best."

After trying to decide which way to go, William finally chose to fly East, Cynder following close behind.

…

The two dragons had traveled East all through the night. After flying over the Valley of Avalar for a while, they exited it and found themselves traveling across a massive, desolate Plain. Along the way, they made sure that Spyro was still alive and well.

As the morning sun crept up on the Eastern Horizon, the two dragons finally spotted Warfang. The city was in the center of great Plains. It had been partially damaged in the reconstruction of the world, but was otherwise completely unharmed.

William and Cynder flew across the city and came to a landing at the Temple, which towered above every other building in the center of the city. When they walked up the front steps, they were stopped by several Cheetah guards.

"HALT!" They shouted.

"Get out of our way!" William demanded. "This dragon needs medical attention!"

"Who are you?" One of the Cheetahs demanded. Cynder sighed in frustration.

"What does it matter who he is?" She shouted. "Can't you see the weakened dragon on his back is Spyro, and that I'm Cynder? Let us in!"

The Cheetahs examined the unconscious form of Spyro, and then immediately gasped.

"Open the gates!" One of the Guards shouted to someone on the other side of them. "And call the Guardians!"

…

It didn't take long for Spyro to receive the medical treatment he needed.

As the Purple dragon was tended to by the Ice Guardian Cyril, Terrador, Earth Guardian and current leader of Warfang, told Cynder and William that they would have to wait until the next morning before they can see him again. Cynder was not pleased with this.

"I want to be there for him!" She protested. "Spyro needs me!"

"You've done all you can do for now, Cynder." The Earth dragon responded. "For now, all you can do is wait."

"But, I-"

"Cynder."

The Black dragoness didn't respond. Instead, she simply turned around.

"Fine!" She yelled. The Black dragoness stormed away, tears forming in her eyes.

William sighed in pity, and turned to face Terrador.

"Is there any place where I can take a nap for a while?" He asked wearily. "I'm feeling a bit light-headed."

"Certainly, young one." Terrador responded. "I'll have one of the Moles escort you there."

After a short moment, the Black-and-White dragon was led away. All the while, Terrador couldn't help but wonder.

_Just who IS this strange young dragon?_


	5. The Bond

Chapter 4: The Bond

William silently walked into the room that the Mole servant had led him to. He walked around the chamber, surveying everything in it.

On one side of the room was a bookshelf, stocked high with scores of books on the history of the Dragon race. On another side was a desk, with sheets and quills neatly arranged and ready to be put to use. Sitting in one corner were several canvases, with Pains on a wooden palette. A large red cushion with blue covers sat on the far side of the room, overlooked by a window.

William was speechless.

"This must be the best dream I've ever had." He said, smiling. "Or maybe, it's not a dream after all…"

William walked over to the windowsill and stared up at the brilliant light of the rising sun.

He had only been in Warfang for a little over an hour, but the city already felt like home. It was as if William was returning to an old home, instead of a visiting stranger. Whether or not he was just imagining the feeling, he couldn't say.

The Black-and-White dragon turned away from the window and lay down on his cushion. He chose to lie on top of the covers, not daring to tuck himself in.

…

After Terrador left the room, Cynder snuck back in. She didn't care if she was going against the Earth Guardian's orders: Nothing would keep her from her beloved.

The Black dragoness stood close by and watched as Cyril healed Spyro's wounds. The Ice guardian noticed her enter, and acknowledged her presence by speaking to her.

"He's going to be alright." He said.

"He is?" Cynder asked, eyes beaming.

"Yes, but he'll need to rest for the next week. He'll have to stay in bed most of the time, only coming out for meetings with the Guardians."

Cyril finished putting ice over Spyro's wounds.

"I'll check up on him in the morning. But until then, I think he should rest here. You should do the same, Cynder."

"Alright.." The Black dragoness said solemnly.

As the Ice Guardian turned to leave the room, he glanced back at Cynder.

"Cynder, there's something I wish to speak with you about."

The Black dragoness sighed. She looked down at the Purple dragon.

"I'll be back soon, my love." She whispered.

Spyro blushed at the sound of her voice.

"I'll be waiting, my sweet." He whispered back, making Cynder blush pure red.

Cynder turned around and walked out of Spyro's room, and found Cyril waiting for her in the hallway. As the two dragons stood outside Spyro's doorway, the Ice Guardian started speaking.

"Cynder, you seem to have grown very attached to Spyro lately."

Cynder's black cheeks turned to the color of fire when she heard Cyril say that.

"And since when have you been so interested in our relationship, Cyril?"

"At about the time when I noticed the bond mark on your wing matched the one of Spyro perfectly."

"Bond mark?"

Cynder quickly turned her head and looked at the mark curiously. "When did this appear?"

"That mark you have there is a very special one indeed." Cyril replied. "It is the first of three stages."

"What are the?" the dragoness asked, trying to hold back the shyness in her voice.

"The first stage is a bronze wing. A dragon couple gains this when both dragons love each other very much. You and Spyro now have this mark on each of your wings. The second stage is the silver wing. In this stage, the dragons' love for one another cannot be broken. To gain this mark, the two dragons have to…well…."

"Spit it out already, Cyril." Cynder demanded.

"Well, if you must know," He responded. "The two dragons have to…. mate."

Cynder stood in shock. Cyril continued.

"The third and final stage is the most joyous: The Gold wing. This mark appears when the dragoness finally lays her eggs. When she does this, both dragons are able to live another generation together."

When the Ice Guardian finished speaking he hugged the young dragoness.

"Don't worry Cynder." He said, smiling. ""I believe you will make a fine mother, when the time comes."

Cyril then let go of Cynder and continued on his way.

As the Ice Guardian walked away, his words repeated themselves in the dragoness's head.

"Mother?" She asked. "Me, a mother?"

Lying in his room, Spyro hear the conversation unfold. When Cynder returned to the room, her expression was shy and joyous at the same time.

"Oh Spyro, if only you could hear me." The dragoness said as she laid down next to the Purple dragon and wrapped her forelegs around him in a loving embrace.

Cynder laid there for a few minutes, saying nothing, until Spyro draped his wing across her back.

"Cynder, I know what you're thinking." He whispered to her. "And the answer is yes. If you want children, then I will be there for you, every step of the way."

With those words, Cynder and Spyro faced each other, looked into each other's eyes, and kissed.

…

It wasn't until late in the afternoon when the dragon Guardians entered William's room. Volteer, Terrador and Cyril all packed into the strange young Black-and-White dragon's chamber. They saw that William was standing out on the Balcony, with his easel in front of him. When the Guardians saw this, Volteer began to ramble.

"I see he has a knack for painting. I wonder what paints he's using, and-"

The Lightning Guardian was cut short by Cyril.

"Can you please save this for another day, Volteer?" The Ice Guardian demanded.

Volteer silently started mumbling to himself.

William noticed the Guardians entering and laid his brush inside a paint jar.

"Good afternoon." William greeted, trying not to cause too much commotion.

"Good afternoon to you as well, young one." Terrador replied. "Now that we all have the time, we would like an explanation as to what happened last night."

"What was your name again?" Volteer asked.

The young dragon smiled.

"William." He answered. "My name is William. And as for last night: I was traveling alone through Avalar when I heard loud noises. I followed them, and found Spyro and Cynder under attack by Grublins. I managed to kill about ten of them when they dissolved into the earth. At the same time, I found my own power suddenly increase at the same rate.

"Interesting." Terrador replied. "So, you managed to absorb the energy of the fallen foes?"

"I suppose so." William said, shrugging. "I don't really understand why I have this power."

"This is very intriguing" Volteer declared. "I'll go to the Library and study up on this matter. Maybe we can find out some information as to why you have said power."

The Lightning Guardian immediately turned and left the room.

William turned around, sighed, and looked out at the mid afternoon sky.

"Is something wrong William?" Terrador asked.

"I'm fine." He replied solemnly. "I'm just thinking of where I came from."

"Where would that be?" Cyril asked.

"Oh, it's too hard to explain." The young dragon replied. "But, when I find a way to explain it without sounding crazy, I'll tell you."

With those last words, the dragon Guardians turned to leave the room, leaving William behind with his painting.

Just before he left the room, Cyril turned to the young dragon.

"Young one, if I may ask, what are you painting?" He asked.

"A dream." William answered.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Sure." The young dragon answered. "I was standing in the middle of a city, in the middle of a happy occasion. Couples were dancing and singing and having a great time with each other. And each time I see that dream, it reminds me of how lonely I am."

Cyril frowned in pity. He understood what William was feeling.

"William, don't beat yourself up. The dream isn't supposed to make you feel sad, but liven you with joy. Dreams can often be windows into the future. And this one in particular is a vision into the Day of the Bonds."

"Day of the Bonds?" William exclaimed. "What's that?"

"It's the anniversary of the day when the first dragons each found their true love." Cyril answered. "We celebrate this day as a way for dragons who've come of age to find mates, and for the dragons who already have mates to celebrate their relationships. And it should so happen that the next Day of the Bonds is rapidly approaching."

"It is?" William asked.

"Yes. Who knows? You just might find someone to help you not feel so alone."

"I guess you're right." They young dragon smiled slightly.

"Of course I'm right." Cyril smiled back. "Now, I must be off. The others are probably looking for me. Have a good day, young William."

With that, Cyril turned and left the room.

William began a new painting. But this one was not of sadness or woe, but of joy or the world, as couples found true love. And in the midst of it all, William painted symbol of union in the very center.

The bond Symbol.

…

It was the dead of night, on the Southern coast of the massive plains that surrounded Warfang.

For the longest time, all was peaceful. The distant sound of nocturnal creatures moving about in the adjacent edge of a massive forest filled the air. The Ocean waves crashed against the beach. Crickets chirped all across the land. All was well..

And then, suddenly, a young dragoness came bursting out of the sea water. She struggled to reach the beach, gasping for breath. She had just recently ran out of magic, and was doing all she could from drowning from exhaustion.

After a great fight for her life, the dragoness finally made it onto the beach. She wandered forwards a short distance to get away from the waves, and then crashed down on the ground, breathing heavily.

Her name was Blizzard. She was an Ice dragoness, roughly fifteen years old. She had a slender, well-curved figure. She had a Light Blue hide, and Silver underbelly. She had Sapphire eyes, and two silver horns that pointed straight back. She wore a silver chain around her neck, which was shaped like slivers of Ice. The top of her head was covered with an intricate pattern of Ice that looked like a fury of tiny pieces of hail.

How did Blizzard end up in this predicament?

Ever since her parents were slain, young Blizzard had fled from her home in the Ice Islands, searching for a new life. She was traveling north, hoping to find refuge in the city of Warfang.

But then, the Ring of Annihilation came, and the whole world began falling to pieces. Young Blizzard hid in the center of an Island, expecting to be burned alive like so many others…

However, by some miracle, she survived, and the entire world came back together. When Blizzard tried to continue on her way to Warfang, she found that she was now several miles off course.

Ever since then, Blizzard had been trying to find the city, struggling not to get lost in this new world. But she was beginning to lose hope.

"Will I **ever** make it?" She asked, to no one in particular. She began to cry. "I've traveling for so long….I don't even know where I am anymore."

Once Blizzard had regained her strength, she got back up onto her feet.

"No, I mustn't give up." She said, determination in her voice. "I've got to keep trying. Mother and Father would have wanted me to."

After looking over the Plains and the Forest to the East, Blizzard decided to head West.

As she flew west, she became sad again.

"If only they were here…. I'm so alone."


	6. Crown Jewels in a Paintjar

Chapter 5: Crown Jewels in a Paint jar

Three days passed.

For three days since the incident, Spyro had been lying in bed, daydreaming of a life with Cynder, living in Warfang in peaceful harmony. It wasn't until after that when he met the dragon who saved his life.

Early in the morning, William walked up to Spyro's room and knocked on the door, waiting for a response.

"You're welcome to come in." Spyro said.

"Thanks." William replied, entering the room.

As William walked into the room, Spyro studied the dragon from his place on the bed. The Purple dragon was very curious about what his Element could be, since a dragon's hide color usually coincided with its element. However, the matter of thanking the Black-and-White dragon came to mind.

"Uh, I'd like to thank you for saving Cynder and me back in Avalar." He said.

"It was no problem." William responded. "I couldn't just standby and watch while you two were in danger. So, I swooped in to lend a hand."

"Well, I thank you for saving me. If it wasn't for you, I would have never forgiven myself for what Cynder would have had to go through." Spyro grimaced. "It sickens me each time I have to remember hearing Cynder cry behind me as she hid behind me, unable to defend herself because of the loss of the energy she used in the Planet's core."

William watched as Spyro cried softly into his bed. The Black-and-White dragon felt sorry for the Purple one, because of all the horrible things that he had been through in his life.

"Hey, Spyro…" William started.

"Yes?" Spyro asked, holding back tears.

"I know it's hard living your life, but you're not alone." William replied. He sat down next to Spyro.

"Cynder and the Guardians do everything in their power to protect you, and Cynder loves you deeply. She'd do anything she could to make you happy, Spyro."

As William said these words, Spyro looked at him.

"Thanks, William. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead, and wouldn't be lying here right now."

The Purple dragon got up onto his feet and walked towards the door.

"Wait!" William shouted

"What?" Spyro asked.

"I made something for you and Cynder for the Day of the Bonds."

"What is it?"

"Follow me and you'll find out." William answered. He got up and walked past Spyro, intending to head for his chamber. The Purple dragon followed after him.

A few moments later, William and Spyro arrived. Once he entered inside, Spyro noticed that there were several elaborate paintings set up on display all around the room.

"I have a lot of free time." William commented. "A Guardian usually stops by once or twice to check up on me."

The Black-and-White dragon walked up to three canvases that were laying against the side wall.

Spyro stared at the masterpieces. He could scarcely believe the intricate detail of each painting.

The first was a group painting of all the remaining Guardians, with Spyro and Cynder standing in the center of the group. The second was a painting of the Bond Symbol with a giant dancing crowd in the middle. The last one, however, was covered in a tarp, hiding the painting from view.

"On the Day of the Bonds," William began, "when you arrive home from the festival, I want you to show this to Cynder."

As Spyro laid his forepaw across the tarp he grabbed the hard leather surface and lifted it away, revealing the painting beneath.

The Image was breathtaking.

The mural showed Spyro and Cynder, with their tails entwined, looking down on a giant cluster of Purple eggs.

"There's been a rumor floating around that you and Cynder want to have children." William chuckled. "So, I decided that I might make something special for you guys."

Spyro lifted the Painting up, careful not to ruin it with his talons.

"William, you're incredible!" He exclaimed. "I'll never forget a friend like you!"

"Friend?" The other dragon asked. "You consider me your friend?"

"Why not?" Spyro asked happily. "You've already done so much for me. I just wish I could repay you somehow."

"That's not necessary, Spyro." William replied, smiling. "I've been more than happy to do what I've done."

"If you say so.." The Purple dragon turned and practically ran out the door. "Thanks again for the painting, William! I'll never forget you!"

"I'll never forget **you**, either." William shouted to the other dragon as he vanished from view. William sighed.

"If this is a dream, I don't want it to end."

…

Later that evening…

William looked all around the Dining hall as the meal began. He had never before seen such an extravagant place as this.

Expertly crafter glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling, while stained glass windows littered the walls. Two giant wooden tables lined across the whole room, with a third table at the front for the Guardians and other important beings. All throughout the room, Moles and Cats were serving trays of food and refilling the drinks of the beings seated.

As the food began to be served, William stood up to make an announcement. Everyone else in the room suddenly became quiet as they gave the Black-and-White dragon their attention.

"Everyone," he began, "I've been living here at the temple for almost an entire week since I rescued these heroes.." he motioned towards Spyro and Cynder, "..and I believe that I should give something back in return. So, I have painted something for the temple."

As William said this, a group of moles brought over a giant canvas over to him. He pulled the tarp away, revealing the painting beneath it.

It was the painting of Spyro, Cynder and the Guardians.

When everyone saw the painting, the Guardians looked it over in bewilderment.

"I've never seen such a finely crafted painting in my life!" Volteer declared.

"The only thing better would be my royal family sitting on a-" Cyril began, but was cut off by a glare from Terrador.

"Put an end to it, Cyril!" The Earth dragon demanded. "The painting is beautiful."

"William, it's truly magnificent!" Volteer declared.

_This is my home_, William thought happily. _I belong here, with all the rest of the dragons. They truly accept me. I'm finally happy._

As this was going on, Spyro was staring into Cynder's Green eyes.

"Cyn, whenever I look into your eyes, they remind me of the radiant shine of Emeralds."

"Cyn?" The Black dragoness asked, an eyebrow raised. Spyro blushed.

"It's a nickname I thought of for you." Cynder chuckled.

"Well then, just so you know, 'Spy', your eyes happen to look like shining amethysts."

The two young dragons laughed together.

"Say, do you know what tomorrow is, Cynder?"

"How could I forget my new favorite holiday?" The Black dragoness replied. "It's the Day of the Bonds tomorrow."

"I'm going to make tomorrow the best day of you life, Cyn." Spyro said, smiling. "I'm going to take you to my favorite part of the city."

Cynder smiled back.

"I hope you hold true, Spyro."

…

Then room slowly became silent as the Moles, Dragons, and Cats started leaving the Dining Hall. Spyro and Cynder left as well, heading to Spyro's chamber.

When they arrived, the two dragons lied down on the bed, Cynder pulling Spyro beside her. The Purple dragon then placed a forepaw on the dragoness's belly, laid his wings on top of her, and nestled his head by hers.

Cynder had not felt this good since she and Spyro defeated Malefor.

"Good night, Spy." Yawned Cynder.

"Goodnight, Cyn." He yawned back.

Cynder started to fall asleep, but was awoken by Spyro's words.

"I love you, Cynder." The dragoness kissed her mate.

"I love you too, Spyro."

…

It was the dead of night.

A great thunderstorm started falling all across the great plains surrounding Warfang. Blizzard flew as fast as she could, using her Water magic to keep the rain from pelting her.

She didn't know where she was going, or how far she had already traveled. She just thought of one thing: Find shelter.

"There's got to be some place I can stop to rest!" Blizzard shouted. "I can't keep traveling like this!"

Eventually, Blizzard got so tired that she had to stop flying, and came to a landing on the ground. The Blue dragoness lied on the dirt ground, her chest pounding heavily. The last reserves of magical energy she had ran out, and she began to get pelted by rain droplets.

Soon, Blizzard was struggling to get back onto her feet, shivering intensely in the rain.

She started to cry.

"I hate this!" Blizzard exclaimed. "How long do I have to keep this up! When am I going to find a home?"

The Water dragoness roared in frustration, which soon collapsed into absolute sadness.

"I've got to keep going…" Blizzard told herself. "I've got to keep moving.."

Blizzard proceeded to walk forwards, heading in the direction she was traveling in.

For a while, the Water dragoness only saw the ever-stretching horizon of the plains. But then, off in the distance, Blizzard saw the darkened image of a large mass off in the distance.

A city.

"Warfang!" Blizzard cheered. "Finally"

Immediately, the dragoness ran forwards with all of her might, trying to get to the city as fast as she could…


	7. A Blizzard Hits William

Chapter 6: A Blizzard hits William

The Orange sun brought daylight through the window as Spyro and Cynder lay together on their bed. Spyro was the first to awaken, startled to find Cynder turning around to look straight at him. He scooted up next to the Black dragoness, shaking her to wake her from slumber.

"Time to get up, Cyn." He said lovingly.

The Black dragoness woke with a yawn.

"Good morning, Spyro." She greeted.

"Did you sleep well, love?" The Purple dragon asked.

"Very well indeed."

The two dragons lay there for a while, wrapping there forelegs around each other in a loving embrace.

Unfortunately, their tended moment was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Spyro asked.

"Terrador."

Spyro and Cynder got up out of bed, turning to face the door.

"Come on in." Cynder said.

A moment later, the Earth Guardian walked into the room.

"Spyro, Cynder, the other Guardians and I need to speak with you. Meet us in the hallway as soon as you're ready."

The two younger dragons looked at each other.

"Should we go now or later?" Cynder asked.

"We might as well go now." Spyro answered.

"Wonderful." Terrador replied.

The three dragons left the room and proceeded down the hallway, Spyro and Cynder staying close together.

As the proceeded down the hall, the two young dragons glanced at the doorway to William's room.

"He's done so much for us, and he hardly even _knows_ us." Cynder stated.

"Maybe he knows more than we believe." Spyro replied.

"Say, I have an idea!"

"What, Cyn?"

"Why don't we bring him with us to the festival?" The Black dragoness asked.

"That's a great idea!" Spyro declared. "Let's go ask him."

As the two young dragons turned towards William's room, Terrador glanced back at them.

"Where are you..?"

"We'll be right back in just a moment, Terrador." The Purple dragon said to him. The Earth Guardian sighed.

"Fine."

The two young dragons stepped into William's room. The Black-and-White dragon was lying down in his bed, daydreaming.

"He's as bad as you are with daydreaming, Spyro." Cynder chided.

"Oh, hardy har." Spyro remarked, grinning.

"Huh?" William remarked, startled. He woke from his daydreaming and stood up, surprised to see Spyro and Cynder in his room.

"Um, hi, guys." He said.

"Sorry to bother you, William." Spyro replied.

"No, that's all right." The Black-and-White dragon stated. "I was trying to wake up completely anyway."

Cynder chuckled.

"You really ARE as bad as Spyro with daydreaming."

The three dragons all had a laugh.

"So," William said, calming down. "What brings you two to my humble abode?"

"We came to invite you to come with us to the festival being held for the Day of the Bonds." Spyro answered.

"Uh, I don't know about that…" The Black-and-White dragon stammered, shyness overtaking his voice.

"Oh, come on, William!" Cynder replied. "All you do is stay in your room all day, only coming out for meals or other necessities."

"Yeah!" Spyro agreed. "You need to go out and have some fun for a change."

"Well…" William responded, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I could go out today.."

"Great!" Cynder exclaimed happily.

The Purple and Black dragons turned back around and walked out towards the hallway. As they left, Cynder turned back for a moment.

"We'll see you there in a while." She said happily.

"Yeah, see you then…" William replied, nonchalant.

Once Spyro and Cynder had left, William turned back around, sighing.

"I really hope it's a good idea."

…

"So, what do you think the Guardians want to talk about?" Spyro asked.

"It's probably about us." Cynder answered.

The two dragons walked across the hallways to the Guardians' inner chamber.

The chamber was one of the biggest rooms in the Temple. Multiple bookshelves surrounded the room's circular walls. The room's ceiling was three floors up. Enormous stained glass windows were at the top of the room, shining a snarl of colors into the room's interior. Around the chamber's floor, the three guardians stood upon cushions of their corresponding color and element around a Pool of green water: The Pool of Visions.

Terrador was the first Guardian to speak

"We have found out a little bit more information about William's bizarre abilities in an old tome known as 'The Chaotic Star'."

"The Chaotic Star?" Spyro asked.

"It was written some three-hundred years ago." Volteer answered. "According to what we could decipher from the text within, William's powers are truly unusual, and incredibly unpredictable. It seems that William's primary ability isn't an element at all."

"What?" Cynder asked. "What do you mean?"

"William can wield energy itself, which takes the form of a black-and-white essence. He can convert absolutely anything into pure energy, and then reconstruct it as anything else he desires. Alternatively, he can absorb the energy into himself, thus enhancing his own power. This ability is enhanced during sunrises and sunsets, but becomes almost uncontrollable during an eclipse."

"Why do you want _us_ to know this, and not William?" Spyro asked.

"Because, young dragon…" Terrador began, "We wish to test how well William is able to control is powers. We have already planned to begin his breath training, like you once did."

Cyril pointed a talon at the Purple dragon.

"I want you to keep an eye on William. We've noticed that, more often than once, he's been sneaking out of his room late at night."

"And you want us to find out what he's up to?" Cynder asked.

"Yes, that's all we wished to discuss with you." The Ice Guardian replied. "Now then, you two lovebirds are free to go and have fun at the festival today."

Cyril chuckled as the two young dragons looked at each other, blushing.

"Well, we must be going, then." Spyro said, slightly embarrassed. "Bye."

The two young dragons turned around and left the chamber, their tails wrapping around each other.

"Ah, young love.." Volteer commented.

"They're teenagers." Terrador replied. "That is how some of them behave."

Cyril sighed solemnly.

"I wonder if William will be the same way soon…"

…

Blizzard awoke from her hiding place in a daze. She got up onto her feet, yawning.

"Well, now what do I do?" She wondered out loud.

Hours ago, The young dragoness entered the city of Warfang, and immediately searched for shelter from the rain. After wandering the city's many streets, she happened to stumble upon an old abandoned house, which sat unguarded and unlocked. So, she decided to slip inside and get some rest.

And now, it was the middle of the day, and she had no idea what to do now.

"Well, as long as I'm here," Blizzard decided, "I might as well try to find a place to work. Maybe then, after I've made enough money, I can find a place to live."

The Water dragoness, now determined, stepped out of the house and onto the city streets.

To her surprise, a whole host of dragons were all heading in the same direction down the street. Almost all of them had giddy faces, and Blizzard could hear distant fanfare playing.

_What in the world is going on?_, she wondered.

Confused, Blizzard walked up to the closest dragon, a teenaged female Fire dragon, and spoke to her.

"Excuse me." The Ice dragoness said.

"Yes?" The Fire dragoness asked.

"Sorry to bother you, but I'm new in town. What's going on all of a sudden? Where is everyone headed?"

"You mean you don't know?" The other girl exclaimed. "We're all heading to the festival!"

"Festival?"

"Today's the Day of the Bonds!"

Blizzard's eyes glowed in surprise.

"The Day of the Bonds is Today?" She exclaimed.

"You better believe it!" The other dragoness answered. "The Festival's being held just outside the temple. Better hurry, before you miss out!"

And with that said, the Red dragoness turned and ran up the street towards the temple.

As all of the other dragons rushed along, Blizzard sighed.

_The Day of the Bonds…._

The Ice dragoness looked herself over. She looked decent, but she didn't think she'd be considered the most attractive dragoness in Warfang.

_I may not get much attention, but it wouldn't hurt to TRY to attract someone._

The Ice dragoness, her mind set once again, turned towards the Temple and walked onwards.

…

Spyro, Cynder and William stood in the middle of the crowd of dragons. The festival looked absolutely amazing. Tens were set up all along the streets, selling all kinds of trinkets and sundries for the event. At the front of the Festival, just behind the Temple, stood a giant wooden platform, upon which the Guardians stood. There were over two hundred dragons in the crowd, most of them glancing at someone they already chose to pursue in their minds. A band of Moles and Cats played a wondrous upbeat-yet-calming melody, reserved specifically for the Festival.

"When's the festival going to start?" Cynder asked, annoyance in her voice. "I'm getting tired of waiting."

"Don't get too frustrated, Cyn." Spyro replied, placing a forepaw on one of hers and smiling. "I'll make up for the lost time."

Terrador walked up to the front of the platform and began to speak. Every other dragon quieted down and the music ceased to listen to the Earth Guardian's announcement.

"Dragons of all ages! Today, we celebrate the joyous occasion when the first dragons to walk our world each found their significant other. This will be the first Day of the Bonds in our New Age, so let us make it one to remember for all time. Let the Festival BEGIN!"

With those words spoken, the fanfare erupted into the air once again. The male dragons started walking amongst the females, making small talk and idle pick-up lines. Spyro and Cynder walked to the middle of the square, where many other couples were already dancing to the peaceful melody played by the orchestra.

William stayed where he stood, watching the many others around him. Everything was just like his dream. All around him, male dragons were dancing with their mates under the sunset sky. Spyro and Cynder danced to the slow harmony of the music while rubbing heir heads against one another. William smiled. He was happy for them.

_You two deserve each other._ He thought.

…

Blizzard wandered through the crowd of dragons, looking in all directions. Almost all of the male dragons were either dancing with a female, or actively pursuing another one. The Ice dragoness felt completely unnoticed. She sighed.

_This is what you get for being late, Blizzard_, she thought, scolding herself.

The Ice dragoness walked allover the Festival grounds, still searching for someone, anyone, who still hadn't selected a dragoness already. After a long while of searching, Blizzard started becoming doubtful.

_It's hopeless. I'm the only one who's left out, just like always._

Blizzard walked onwards, shedding tears. She was the only one sad during this time of happiness…

And then, she spotted someone. It was a male dragon unlike any she had seen before.

The dragon's hide was a combination of Black and White. He had a crescent moon-shaped blade on the end of his tail, and a multitude of silver spikes running down his back.

_Incredible!_ Blizzard thought, astonished. _I've never seen anyone like HIM before!_

The Black-and-White dragon was sitting, alone, in the middle of the crowd before the wooden platform.

_I wonder why he's all alone…._

Working up the nerve, Blizzard walked up to the mysterious dragon. Once she got close enough, she spoke to him.

"Uh, hello." She said, getting his attention. The male turned and glanced at her.

"Hey." He said, smiling slightly.

"Why aren't you trying to find a mate?" Blizzard asked.

"Because…uh…." The male stammered, nervous. The Ice dragoness chuckled softly.

_He's not as proud as I would have expected._

"Because I don't think anyone would ever want to be mates with a dragon like **me**." The male finally said.

Blizzard stared into the male dragon's Emerald eyes. She didn't speak until she felt herself blush.

I don't think we've introduced ourselves." Blizzard said, smiling. "My name is Blizzard. What's yours?"

"William." The male replied.

William quickly glanced up and down Blizzard's body. The dragoness pretended not to notice, and struggled not to giggle.

_He's looking me over! I wonder what he thinks of me…_

After a quick moment, William broke the silence.

"So, what brings you to Warfang, Blizzard?"

"Well, uh, I've been traveling around for a while." The Ice dragoness answered. "I was thinking of maybe trying to find a job here. If that doesn't pan out, I'm going to continue traveling for a bit more."

"That may not be the best of ideas right now." William stated. "The world's not in the same state as it used to be. It's easy to get lost in the new geography."

_I hadn't thought of that. Maybe he's right._

"I guess so.." Blizzard replied. "But what about you? What are _you_ doing in Warfang?"

"Well, I saved Spyro and Cynder from a group of Grublins, and since then, I've been living in the Temple."

"You rescued Spyro and Cynder?" Blizzard exclaimed, astonished. "It must be a great honor to be living among the Guardians and the Saviors of the dragon race!"

"If by 'great honor', you mean 'being bored to death by Volteer's lectures', then yes." William replied.

The two dragons laughed together. During this time, Blizzard took the time to look William over again. He truly was an incredible sight to behold. Despite how his Snow White and Midnight Black scales should clashed violently, in Blizzard's mind, the danced harmoniously. But her favorite part about this dragon was his beautiful Emerald eyes.

Suddenly, William caught Blizzard off guard by speaking to her again.

"Do you have a place to stay, Blizzard?" He asked.

"Er.. I, uh…no, I don't." The dragoness answered, not wanting to reveal where she slept earlier. "I only arrived in the city recently."

"Well then, I know a place you can stay." William replied. "Follow me."

The Black-and-White dragon started walking through the crowd of festival-goers, Blizzard following close behind.

"Where are we going?" She asked. William looked back and smiled.

"The Temple."

…

The streets were enveloped in the moonlight. The many couples had stopped dancing and looked up at the glory of the twin moons.

As this occurred, Spyro and Cynder had returned to the dragon temple. They were standing on their balcony, looking over the painting that William had made for them.

"It really is beautiful." Cynder commented.

"You are." Spyro replied.

"You shameless flatterer." She said.

"I am."

Cynder chuckled. Both the Purple and Black dragons blushed as they looked into each other's eyes.

Cyn, there's one last thing I wanted to show you before the night ends." Spyro said.

"What is it?" The dragoness asked.

"Follow me, and I'll show you."

Spyro playfully tagged Cynder and flew away into the air.

"I'm SO going to get you!" She yelled half-jokingly, taking off after the Purple dragon.

The two young dragons flew across the sky around the temple, crisscrossing and zigzagging all throughout the air. Eventually, the two dragons came to a landing in the large garden behind the Temple.

The Garden was filled with roses, tulips, lilies, and all sorts of wonderful plants. Spyro came to a stop before a large oak tree, Cynder landing nearby. The two dragons nestled down together, and stared up at the night sky.

"I could stay here and watch this for hours." Cynder declared.

"Me too." Spyro replied. "It's truly a breathtaking sight."

The Purple dragon laid his wing across his mate.

"Spyro, thank you for everything today." Cynder said, smiling. "The dancing, the dinner, the painting, and now this beautiful meadow."

"Don't worry about it, Cyn." He responded. "It should be **you** to be thanked, not me. Because of you, I've been given so much to live for."

The two dragons cuddled together.

"Spyro, I hope I never lose you again." Cynder stated, tightening her grip around the Purple dragon.

"I hope I never lose **you** either." He replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

For a good while, Spyro and Cynder laid together before the Oak tree, slowly falling asleep in each other's loving embrace…

Little did they realize that they were being watched.

Across the meadow, hidden in the bushes, stood a large, Dark Red dragon, roughly in his early thirties. The dragon was of a thick, burly build, with a black underbelly. A thick red crest crowned his head, which ran all the way down his back and to the tip of his tail, which ended in a red spear-tip. He had two thick, black horns, and horrible Red eyes, which had demonic Irises.

The Red dragon approached the two sleeping ones, chuckling to himself.

"So, neither one of you could bear to do away with the other one, eh?" He asked, chuckling again. "Sleep while you can, Heroes! You're in for a rude awakening!"

The Dark Red dragon turned around and held out one of his forepaws. A moment later, a large cloud of Black Smoke appeared before him.

"Zevron's going to be delighted to know the whereabouts of the dragons who murdered Malefor."

The Dark Red dragon walked through the cloud of smoke, and it closed around him, vanishing.

Soon, the dragon was gone, as if he was never even there to begin with…

…

Terrador stood alone in the Guardians' chamber. Volteer and Cyril were still at the festival, keeping a watchful eye on the festival-goers. The Earth Guardian elected to return to the Temple, not wanting the noise of the festivities to cloud his mind.

Terrador's eyes were shut: He was deep in concentration.

_There is something strange in the air tonight,_ he thought to himself._ I cannot help but feel that an unwelcome presence has recently invaded this hallowed ground._

Terrador sighed.

_I fear for the safety of those three young dragons. We will need to help Spyro regain his lost elemental abilities, as well as Cynder. And as for William, his training must begin immediately. We may need him to put his unusual abilities to good use._

Suddenly, Terrador heard someone enter the chamber. He opened his eyes to see William and a young Ice dragoness walk up to him.

"Ah, greetings, young William." Terrador greeted. "Is there something I can assist you with? And who is your friend there?"

"This is Blizzard." The Black-and-White dragon answered. The dragoness bowed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Terrador." She said shyly.

"Likewise." The Earth Guardian replied.

"Anyway, Blizzard needs a place to stay." William continued, shyly. "Is alright for her to stay in the temple for a while?"

Terrador smiled.

"She may stay for as long as she wishes, William." He replied. "Follow me: I'll take you two to a vacant room."

The Earth Guardian led William and Blizzard down the long hallways of the Temple. Eventually, the trio arrived at a room that was in the same wing as Spyro, Cynder and William's rooms.

"This will be your room." Terrador said to Blizzard. "I hope you find it to your liking. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some pressing matters to attend to, so I hope that William can aid you with whatever problems or other issues you may find."

"When you say 'pressing matters'," William asked, "Are you referring to the pressing matter of standing still in the middle of the Guardian chamber for hours on end?"

Blizzard chuckled slightly, while Terrador sighed.

"Things are not as simple as you make them out to be, young William."

And with that, Terrador turned around and walked away. The Black-and-White dragon shook his head.

"Let me show you around the room." He said to Blizzard.

The two young dragons walked inside, and William proceeded to show her its contents.

"There's a desk over here, a bookcase over there for any books you might find, a find bed is over next to that window, and over there is a balcony, in case you feel the need to gaze up at the stars."

"Wow." Blizzard commented. "This is a lot."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" William asked.

"No, I'm fine for now, William." The dragoness answered. "I've got more than enough of the things I need."

Blizzard glanced over at the bed on the other side of the room.

"Well, I should probably get going, now." The Black-and-White dragon said. He was about to leave the room, when Blizzard stopped him.

"Uh, William?" She asked.

He turned around and stared right into her sapphire eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I want to thank you, for everything."

The Black-and-White dragon blushed.

"It's no problem." He replied. "Remember: if you need me, you can just knock on my door. It's the one with the Black and White Gems emblazoned on the door. You can't miss it."

As William left the room, Blizzard turned and climbed onto her bed. She couldn't stop thinking about the Black-and-White dragon.

_He's incredible_, she thought. _I wonder if he'll ever…._

Blizzard shook her head.

_I shouldn't jump to conclusions. He may just be acting friendly, with no intention of ever being anything more._

The dragoness wrapped herself up in her covers, and slowly drifted off into slumber…

…

Terrador returned to the Guardians' chamber and sat on his cushion before the Pool of visions. He couldn't shake the strange feeling he had gotten earlier.

"What could it be?" He wondered out loud. The Earth Guardian stared down into the Green Waters.

For a moment, the waters were lifeless and still. But then, they started brimming with activity.

Inside the pool, the green water changed to a light blue. The pool showed the image of Spyro and Cynder, sleeping peacefully beneath an Oak Tree. Terrador sighed.

"A pleasant sight, but now what I'm searching for." He stated.

A moment later, the waters changed to the image of William gazing up at the stars on his balcony.

"Perhaps this feeling I have involves him somehow." Terrador wondered.

Once again, the waters changed, this time to the image of the young dragoness named Blizzard, sleeping away on her bed.

"Hmm? How could this one be of importance?"

The pool waters changed one final time. When the image appeared, Terrador gasped.

In the pool was the image of a Temple, far form Warfang. The Temple was engulfed completely in flames. Many of the dragons and nondragons that inhabited it were also consumed by the fire, falling over dead or running about in agony. Soon, the entire building crumbled to the ground.

"By the ancestors!" Terrador bellowed. "Who could do such a thing!"

Soon, The Earth Guardian got his ancestor.

Out of the ruins of the Temple came a large dragon, hidden completely in shadow. All that Terrador could make out was the Dragon's three great horns, and a pair of hideous yellow eyes, with demonic irises.

The Earth Guardian's jaw hit the floor. He nearly turned white with fear.

"No…" He said, astonished. "It's impossible!"

Immediately, Terrador left the Chamber with great haste, searching for the other Guardians.

A great evil was on the rise.


	8. Dream Time

Chapter 7: Dream Time

The Mushroom forest of the old times was gone. The ring of annihilation had burned the entire thing to ashes. All of its plant life was destroyed, as was the animal life, and the Dragonflies as well.

However, when the world became restored, a new forest sprouted from the ashes of the old one almost overnight, like a phoenix being reborn. This new forest spread across tens of hundreds of acres, and was brimming with all sorts of new creatures. The dragonfly race had been restored as well, and the entire species set to work investigating their new home.

On the Westernmost edge of this giant forest, a large cave sat behind a swath of trees, completely hidden from view. And inside this cave, there were three dragons.

The cave's interior was illuminated by several balls of fire that floated in the air above the dragons' heads.

On one side of the cave stood the Dark Red dragon. His two companions were on the other side, listening to him speak.

One of these two other dragons was a female, in her early twenties. She was short, and had a slender and curvy build. She had a Brown hide, and a Blood Red underbelly. She had two Bronze horns that pointed like Lightning bolts down her neck, and a series or black spikes running down her back. Her tail ended with a small axe blade. Her eyes were a horrible Green color, and she had demonic Irises. Her snout was beak-shaped, and she had two black streaks stretching down from her eyes to the top of her neck.

The other dragon was a male, in his late twenties. He was short as well, but not as short as the female. He had a Light Green hide, and a grey underbelly. He had two black stumps for horns: They had been broken off in a previous battle. Several silver spikes ran down his back, and his tail ended with another spike. He had Deep Blue eyes, and the same horribly-shaped Irises as his companions. His wings had several tears in the membranes, and a nasty scar started at the left corner of his mouth and ran down his neck to the halfway point.

"Are you _certain_ it was them, Bruneth?" The female asked.

"I'm absolutely POSITIVE!" The Dark Red dragon declared. "I'm not the smartest dragon around, but I'm no idiot, Vitari."

"So, we've finally found them." The Green dragon stated. "Our search wasn't a very long one. The Master is going to very pleased when he returns."

"That's what I figured, too." Bruneth replied. "Maybe that hardass will finally cut us some slack for once." The Green dragon shut his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh, you pinhead, will you ever learn to treat the master with respect?" He grimaced.

"Hey, you of all people should know that Master Zevron tends to overreact towards EVERYTHING, Vlad!" Bruneth snapped, pointing at the Green dragon's scar.

"I made a crucial error, and I paid the price." Vlad responded calmly. "The Master was being Generous, so he let me live."

"Crucial error, my wing joints!" The Dark Red dragon exclaimed. "You barely made any mistake at all! It only delayed us two, maybe three hours tops. There was no need for that overblown, Black-skinned tyrant to force you to maim yourself like that!"

Vitari laughed uproariously.

"Oh, what's YOUR problem?" Bruneth demanded, glaring at the Brown dragoness.

"That's some mighty big talk, Bruneth!" She chided. "It's funny how you act so high and mighty when the Master is away, only to turn into a scared little hatchling with his tail tucked between his legs when he's around."

The Dark Red dragon stormed forwards and glared directly into Vitari's eyes.

"Care to say that again, Vitari?" He snarled. The dragoness only smiled.

"I don't have to." She replied. "You can't scare me, Bruneth, no matter how much Fear you try to use on me."

"I beg to differ." The Dark Red dragon sneered.

"Oh, you _do_, huh?"

Bruneth snarled, charging his Magical energy. Vitari continued smiling, charging her Magic as well. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A powerful voice shouted from out of nowhere. Immediately, the two dragons ceased charging their magic, and stood at attention, Vlad following suit.

An instant later, two dragons appeared in clouds of black smoke.

The first dragon was the oldest dragon so far: Somewhere in his late thirties. He had a burly build, though not as burly as Bruneth was. He had a Dark Grey hide, and a black underbelly. He had six black horns on that decorated his head, all of them curling downwards. A Black Crest crowned his head, and came to a stop at the base of his neck. A Black Axe blade adorned his tail tip. And he had Bronze-colored eyes, and the same monstrous Irises.

The Second dragon, the youngest of all, was the one who gave the order for Bruneth and Vitari to stop.

He was entering his twenties, and had a thick, muscular build. He had a Midnight Black hide, and a Blood red underbelly, and Red wing membranes. He had three thick, Silver horns on his head: One on top and two on either side of his face. Silver spikes ran down his back, and his tail ended in a silver spear tip. His eyes were a hideous Yellow color, with demonic Irises.

"Greetings, Master Zevron." Vlad replied.

"Save it, Vlad! I am **NOT** in the mood!" The Black dragon exclaimed angrily. "And as for YOU TWO! Whatever you were arguing about, your argument is officially OVER!"

The Dark Red and Brown dragons nearly jumped.

"Uh, as you command, Master." Bruneth replied nervously.

"How did your hunt for the dragons responsible for the defeat of Malefor go THIS time, Master?" Vitari asked. Zevron snarled. The Grey dragon spoke for him.

"It was another big waste of time." He said casually. "We slaughtered every being we came across, only to have our hard work amount to nothing."

"Thank you for the answers, Vincent." Vlad replied.

"If it will make you feel any less aggravated, Master," Bruneth began, smirking, "I have excellent news."

Zevron glared at Bruneth skeptically, an eyebrow raised. "Is that so?"

"Yes, Master." The Dark Red dragon responded.

"What is it, then? It had better be worth my time."

"Oh, I certainly think so." Bruneth took a few steps closer to Zevron. "I found them."

Immediately, Zevron's eyes sparked with interest.

"What?"

"I have found the two responsible for Malefor's defeat." Bruneth answered. "And they don't realize that we're hunting them down."

"Where are they?" The Black dragon demanded.

"They're in Warfang. It's not too far from here: Roughly a day's flight. Plus, we can teleport there easily."

Zevron studied Bruneth's face.

"You had better not be lying to me, Bruneth."

"And just what would I gain by lying to **you** of all people, Master?"

The Black dragon harrumphed. He then proceeded to walk around the area, thinking out loud.

"So, the Nuisance and the Traitor are hiding in Warfang. We can finally stop wandering aimlessly to find them, and begin planning to eliminate them!"

"Why don't we attack them now, Master?" Vitari asked. "With the five of us striking all at once, we will make short work of them."

"That's a foolish tactic." Vincent replied. "Those two dragons are not ones to be trifled with. After all, they were able to defeat Malefor. That alone speaks wonders of their Magical ability."

"Not necessarily." Bruneth responded. "During the time I was spying on them, they didn't use an ounce of their Magical ability. It could be possible that they lost their power after their fight with the Dark Master."

"Just because they aren't using Magic doesn't mean they have none, Bruneth." Vlad scolded. "Not all dragons flaunt their power, you twit."

"Silence!" Zevron shouted. "It is clear that more information is required before we can launch a strike against them." The Black dragon pointed a talon at the Dark Red dragon.

"Bruneth, since you've been to Warfang before, you shall continue spying on them. And Vitari, you shall go along with him."

"Why, Master?" The Green dragoness asked. "I can better serve you at your side."

"You are to provide support for Bruneth, in case he is discovered by the city's defenses." Zevron commanded. "I want you two to make sure whether or not _those two_ have Magical ability or not. Any further planning I do depends on that information. Leave immediately."

"Yes, Master." Bruneth and Vitari said in unison, bowing their heads.

The Dark Red dragon summoned a portal, and he and the Green dragoness walked through it. Once they were gone, Vincent sighed.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to send Bruneth back to Warfang, Master?" The Grey dragon asked. "After all, if those two enrage him, he'll SERIOUSLY want to kill them, thus robbing you of your revenge."

"He won't be able to overcome them." Zevron declared. "And should he dye at their paws, then good riddance. I was a fool to allow him to join my ranks."

"What shall we do in the meantime, Master?" Vlad asked.

"We wait. That is all we can do for now."

"As you command, Master." Vlad and Vincent said in unison.

And so, Zevron and his two minions began waiting for Bruneth and Vitari to return from their reconnaissance. The Black dragon thought to himself, anger filling his every word.

_Spyro, Cynder, you two are going to SUFFER for all that you've done!_

…

Dreams littered Spyro and Cynder's slumber. Little did either one of them know that they had almost the exact same dream…

Spyro walked through the doors of Warfang Temple, greeted by everyone he passed by. All three of the Guardians stood around a new statue in the foyer. It was a statue of Spyro and Cynder, standing side by side.

The Purple dragon was amazed, but also confused. He only became more confused when he passed by William, who was standing in a corner before an easel and a canvas. An Ice dragoness sat beside him, watching the Black-and-White dragon paint an exact likeness of her on the canvas. The two only stopped to congratulate Spyro, and quickly returned to their matter right afterwards.

Spyro walked through the hallways of the Temple, approaching his room. Along the way, more beings congratulated him.

"Why is everyone congratulating me?" Spyro asked.

"Oh, as if you don't know.." A Cheetah replied, chuckling. The Purple dragon rolled his eyes and continued walking onwards.

Eventually, Spyro finally arrived at his room. He walked in, and saw Cynder sleeping in their bed, snoring peacefully. Smiling, the Purple dragon walked up to the Black dragoness, and nestled beside her. As Spyro did this, Cynder immediately woke with a start.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Cyn." Spyro said sadly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Cynder didn't reply. Instead, she only smiled, and got up from the bed.

"Cynder?" Spyro asked.

The Black dragoness walked over to the Balcony doorway, which for some strange reason opened up to absolute darkness. The Purple dragon quickly followed after her.

"Cynder, where are you going?" He protested.

After Spyro ran out the doorway, he found that he was in a endless void of darkness. But it wasn't a frightening darkness. Rather, it was a calm, soothing darkness; The kind that aids you to fall into slumber.

Cynder walked far ahead of Spyro. She was heading towards a great doorway of Light on the far end of the void. The Purple dragon immediately ran after Cynder, trying to catch up to her.

As he ran along the "pathway", Spyro noticed something alarming: He was aging at a rapid rate. With each step he took, Spyro grew larger and bulkier. By the time he reached the doorway of light, Spyro was a teenager no more: He was a Man. A fully grown man.

Spyro looked himself over, nearly dumbstruck.

"What madness is this?" He exclaimed, confused. Even his voice had matured rapidly. Suddenly, remembered that the Black dragoness was still ahead of him.

"Cynder, wait up!" He shouted.

When Spyro ran through the doorway of Light, he was surprised by what awaited him on the other side.

Spyro was now standing on the front steps of an incredible Palace, in a city he did not recognize. The city stretched outwards in all directions, the many blocks lined with massive skyscrapers and other buildings.

A few yards in front of Spyro was Cynder. She was also in an adult form, and had her back to him. And in front of Cynder, in the giant street that seemed to stretch beyond the distance that the eye could see, were dragons. _Scores_ of dragons, of all sorts of colors. More dragons that Spyro had ever seen before, and more than he probably ever would.

Each and every one of those dragons had their heads bowed towards Cynder. Bows of servitude.

Spyro slowly approached The adult Black dragoness, unsure of what to do.

"Cynder?" The Purple dragon asked, nervous. "Is that you..?"

Cynder turned her head and looked at Spyro. She smiled.

"Behold…" She said.

The Black dragoness turned completely around, and presented a small Black object to Spyro.

It was an Egg.

Spyro quickly woke with a start, gasping for air. After making sure he hadn't woken up Cynder, the Purple dragon gazed up at the morning sun above the temple, struggling to regain his composure. A moment later, the dragoness woke up as well. But instead of gasping, she was hyperventilating.

"Cynder, calm down." Spyro said, wrapping his forelegs around her. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here."

"Oh Spyro, I'm sorry." The dragoness said glumly. "It's just, I had the most amazing, yet frightening dream."

"What was it about?" The Purple dragon asked.

Cynder described her dream to Spyro. It was similar to his own, but with some key differences: Spyro was the one sleeping in bed, not Cynder. And when the dragoness ran through the doorway of Light, she was surprised to find herself standing before the crowd of strange dragons, with an egg in her forepaws.

"In my dream, I was so happy for us." Cynder said, looking up at the morning sky. "And yet, I was so confused. It was as if I had received everything that I always wanted, but in a different way than I ever expected. I don't know where I was, or why I was standing there before those dragons."

Cynder laid down against Spyro, rubbing her head against his. As she did this, Spyro spoke to her soothingly.

"I had almost the same dream, Cyn. And do you know how I felt?"

"How?"

"Like you, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. And yet, I'm confused as well. How is it we had almost the same dream? And why was it so specific?"

"Well, maybe we can ask the Guardians for help in figuring this out." Cynder suggested. "It can't be a normal occurrence, that's for sure."

"Yeah.." Spyro agreed.

For a while, the two young dragons stared into each other's eyes. A smile broke out across Cynder's face.

"So, are we going to try to… you know…?" She asked.

Spyro chuckled. He knew exactly what Cynder meant.

"Tonight." He declared. "We'll try tonight."

The two young dragons stood up from their place on the ground before the Oak tree, stretched their limbs a bit, and walked off towards the Temple.

…

The Teal-hided dragon stood near the center of the great circular room. A gigantic hourglass-like device stood in the exact center. A massive variety of books lined the walls or the room. Intricate symbols dotted the walls and ceiling.

Ignitus, the dragon who was recently made the new Chronicler of this New Age, was reading through a tome, which had the image of a Great Purple dragon with golden horns emblazoned on the cover.

"There are many trials and tribulations still ahead of you, young dragon." The Chronicler said. "Although, most of them will come when you are a 'young' dragon no more."

Ignitus closed the tome, and had it float up onto one of the many shelves of the room. The Teal dragon then had another tome float up to him, and it opened up to a specific page.

"The same can be said for _this_ young dragon as well, although he faces a different path than you do, Spyro."

On the Tome's cover, there was an emblazoned image of a mighty Black-and-White dragon.


	9. The Protector

Chapter 8: Questionable Protection.

William was deep in slumber. As he lay there, he was plagued by a horrible nightmare that caused him to toss and turn in his sleep...

The Black-and-White dragon walked through a great deep forest. He had never before seen a forest of such an incredible size. The canopy seemed to continue onwards for eternity in all directions. Scores of Birds chirped all across the forest, singing various tunes. Other forms of wildlife could be heard as well, following their instincts to ensure their survival.

"What _is_ this place?" He asked, to no one in particular. "I've never been in a forest this _big_."

The Black-and-White dragon continued walking down the path, observing the incredible scenery.

As he traveled further into the forest, something odd seemed to be happening. The trees started dying out, one by one. Soon, a massive wildfire exploded into existence, burning hundreds of trees to the ground.

"By the ancestors!" William shouted, horrified.

A short distance away, Moles and Cats were frantically running about the forest, using buckets of water in a futile attempt to extinguish the flames. The Black-and-White dragon ran over to them in the hopes of aiding them.

However, before William could get close, all of the Moles and Cats suddenly started twitching violently.

"What?" The young dragon asked, confused. "What are you all doing?"

The Moles and Cats didn't answer. Instead, they all leapt directly into the massive flames, much to William's surprise. The whole forest became filled with a multitude of screams as the Moles and Cats burned alive.

And then, out of the flames, walked three dragons. Their hide colors were Grey, Green, and Black, respectively. The Black one appeared to be the leader of the group.

As the three strange dragons approached William, the Black dragon eyed the Black-and-White one suspiciously.

Who are you?" The black dragon demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you!" William snapped, preparing for a fight.

The Black dragon snarled.

"I may not know who you are," He said, "but you had best stay out of my way, lest you lose everything you hold dear."

Now enraged, William leapt across the air to attack...

Suddenly, the Black-and-White dragon awoke from his deep slumber, gasping for breath.

"What the...?"

William tried to calm himself down at first, but he almost immediately realized that something was wrong.

He wasn't in his room in the temple. Instead, he was in a strange, circular chamber.

the center most part of the chamber was sunk-in, with a ring of candles around it. there were six doors; one was behind William, another one faced opposite it in the other side of the room, and four more were around that door, two on each side. Each of these four doors seemed to be aligned with one of four elements: Fire, Ice, Electricity and Earth. The whole area flowed with a strange magic.

Over on the other side of the chamber was an aged, Teal-colored dragon dressed in odd garments.

"greetings, young dragon." The aged dragon said as he slowly walked towards William. "This meeting is long overdue."

"Who are you?" William asked, slowly backing away only to collide with the closed door behind him.

"There's no need to fear me." The Teal dragon answered reassuringly. "I am the Chronicler, a dragon who has passed his time, only to be revived and given the task of chronicling the many victories and failures of his past age. You may call me by the name 'Ignitus'."

"Uh, okay..." William replied The Black-and-White dragon looked about the room. "What _is _this place?"

"This is a land called the White Isle. Only a select few dragons are allowed to travel here, whether in mind only or full body. Two such dragons are yourself, and Spyro.

William stared deeply at Ignitus.

"You know Spyro?" The younger dragon asked.

"Of course." The Teal dragon answered. "I used to be his mentor, before fate dictated that the time came for me to move on to the next life, and this new moniker."

William thought for a minute. He had once thought he imagined the exploits of Spyro and Cynder, as well as all of the people they encountered on their journey. He finally remembered the Red-hided Fire dragon's efforts to aid the two.

"You gave your life so that Spyro and Cynder could make it to Malefor's lair." William stated.

"Yes." Ignitus replied. "After I became a spirit, I traveled to the center of the world, where Spyro and Cynder had just come out of a final confrontation with Malefor. When the young Purple dragon lost his hope of survival, I imparted a few last words to him to tell him what needed to be done to save our world from destruction. I arrived here shortly afterwards, and was given the title of Chronicler from the dragon who preceded me."

"I see..." William sat down on the marble floor. "Say, why exactly have I been brought here?"

Ignitus sat down beside the younger dragon.

"I know you must have a multitude of questions, William." Te Teal dragon said.

"I haven't really thought of it much, but yeah..." The Black-and-White dragon responded. "I mean, I always thought that I imagined this world, and all the creatures in it. And now, I find myself walking around and talking to the very beings I thought were in my imagination. I thought this was a dream, at first, but it's continued to endure for so long that it couldn't possibly be a dream. So, how did I end up here? And why do I look the way I do?"

Ignitus sighed.

"All of your questions will be answered in time, young dragon." He stated. "But first, I must tell you about the full extend of your abilities."

"You mean that Black-and-White energy that appears when I try to use magic?" William asked. "What is that, anyway?"

"You are a very unique dragon, William. You grew up in a world that is very different from this one. In that world, when you were very young, your surrogate parents died in a horrible accident. From that day on, you were left as a homeless orphan, who had to fend for himself on the streets of a great city made of metal."

William looked away from Ignitus, sorrow on the young dragon's face. He had all but forgotten about his painful upbringing, but now that he was reminded of it, he nearly broke down into tears. He missed his parents, what little he remembered of them, and longed to see them again.

"Why did you have to remind me of that?" William demanded, glaring up at Ignitus. "That was the lowest point in my entire life!"

"Calm down, William." Ignitus replied, frowning. "Those days are in the past. You are finally home, and that is all that should matter."

"Home?" William cocked an eyebrow at the Teal dragon. "What are you talking about?"

"Though you grew up in that world, it was not your own. The two whom you believed were your parents, though they cared for you dearly, were not your true parents."

"What?" William exclaimed incredulously.

"Your parents, that is to say, your **real** parents, sent you to live in that other world in order for you to escape from Malefor's wrath."

The younger dragon stared up at Ignitus.

"You can't be serious."

"I am most serious, William."

Ignitus waved a forepaw in the air before him. Not moment late, an old decrepit tome flew off a bookshelf and floated through the air towards the teal dragon. The tome was several hundred pages thick, and clearly hundreds of years old.

"This book is one of dozens that contain the many tales of the dragon race since the dawn of time." Ignitus said. "This one in particular holds more centuries of tales, as well as fragments of tales that have yet to come to be."

The tome opened up to a page near the middle section. The page was covered in an old, silver text that William did not recognize.

"As I have said, your parents sent you to that other world in order to keep you from being slain by Malefor's forces. Or worse, made into one of his pawns."

"One of his pawns?" William asked. "Why?"

"In ancient times, you are known as a being called 'The Protector'. You don't have control over any normal elements: Instead, you are able to control an energy known as Nothingness."

"Nothingness? What good is that?"

"In a way, Nothingness is the polar opposite of Convexity. It enables you to convert anything you strike it with into pure energy, which can then be transformed into anything else you desire, or used to enhance your own power. And since it has no element, there is no limit on the duration of its use."

"So, its really powerful, then." William stated.

"Yes, but it's also extremely dangerous." Ignitus warned. "If you unleashed too much of it at one time, you could potentially dissolve everything around you. You need to learn to unleash Nothingness in short bursts."

"Why do I have this power in the first place? Why am I known as 'The Protector'?"

"You are destined to stop a great evil from spreading across the world and plunging the dragon race as we know it into extinction. I cannot tell you what that great evil will be, or the exact date when this will come to pass, but it will be within the near future. In the meantime, however, there is much that you need to be taught."

"If you say so, Ignitus."

"Before we begin your training, though, there is someone that you need to speak with first."

The Teal dragon got up onto his feet and walked over to the sunk-in segment of the floor. As he did this, a platform suddenly appeared before him.

"Come stand next to me, William." He said.

The Black-and-White dragon shrugged and did as he was told.

At first, nothing happened. But then, a great blue flash of light filled the world, blinding William temporarily. He winced in surprise, while Ignitus chuckled.

"that will wear off momentarily, young dragon." He said.

"You could have warned me..." William complained, rubbing his eyes with a forepaw.

When the young dragon could see again, he was surprised to find that he and Ignitus were standing in a Guardian Chamber back in Warfang. And not just any chamber, but the one belonging to Cyril, who was sleeping on a large blue cushion.

"What are we doing here?" William asked, confused.

Ignitus walked up to the snoring Ice Guardian and called out to him.

"Cyril, the time has come." He said. "Awaken."

An instant later, the Ice dragon woke with a start.

"What in the world...?" He shouted, alarmed. When he saw Ignitus, he nearly jumped ten feet into the air.

"Ignitus?" He exclaimed. "Is that you?"

"Yes, old friend." The Teal dragon answered.

"What's happened to you?" Cyril asked, getting down onto the floor. "You look so... different."

"Now is not the time for questions or pleasantries." Ignitus scolded. "it is time that you told William the truth."

"The truth?" William repeated, still very confused. The Black-and-White dragon walked up to the Ice Guardian. "The truth about what?"

Cyril sighed, looking William straight in the eyes.

"William, a long time ago, when I was only a few years older than you are now, I was wandering the mountainside of Dante's Freezer." He began. "I happened upon a chance meeting with a dragoness named Crystal. Crystal had a series of severe wounds allover her body, so I quickly lifter her onto my back and brought her back with me to my village, where I had her treated by a healer and eventually nursed back to health."

"Cute little story." William stated, 'but what does it have to do with **me**?"

"Let him continue his tale, young dragon." Ignitus scolded.

"After Crystal recovered," Cyril continued, "she was extremely grateful that I saved her life, and we couldn't help but fall in love. After a period of courtship, we became mates."

The Ice Guardian started to tear up a bit.

"For at time, we tried to produce eggs. After several failed attempts, we eventually conceived an egg. When it hatched, Crystal and I were both ecstatic, and terrified. The hatchling, a boy, had a most unusual, Black-and-White hide."

William's eyes lit up in surprise.

"Wh... What are you saying?" He demanded.

"It was you, William." Cyril said solemnly. "You're my son."

The Black-and-White dragon felt like he was hit with a boulder.

"You're..." He stuttered, shocked. "You're my father?"

"Yes, William."

The young dragon could hardly believe it.

Cyril was his father? how could that possibly be true? It had to be impossible, right? William was born in the Human world, not the Dragon Realms!

"Well then, if you're my father..." William began, "Then where's my mother? Where's Crystal?"

The Ice dragon cried even heavier.

"She's dead, William."

Once again, the Black-and-White dragon felt as though an heavy object struck him upside the head.

"When did she die?" He demanded.

"During the first few days after you hatched, your mother and I were worried about what to do about you. We wished to raise you as our son, but we feared that you would be rejected by other dragons, because of your bizarre hide.

"Eventually, a decision was forced upon us. The night came when Gaul and his Ape armies stormed the temple. During the assault, many dragons were killed and eggs were smashed. Crystal was attacked by a gang of Apes as well. I wanted to help her, but she begged for me to save you instead. So, with a heavy heart, I honored her wishes, and fled the temple with you, not long before Ignitus fled with Spyro's egg."

"You sent me to a different world that night." William stated, beginning to cry.

"Yes. I feared that if Malefor discovered that you existed, then he would stop at nothing to claim you as another one of his minions. Sending you to another world was not an easy task: I had to enlist the aid of several shamans in the Valley of Avalar. However, I succeeded, and transformed your body into one that matched the species of the creatures living in that world. After that, I returned to the temple in the hopes of seeing if anyone else could be saved. Unfortunately, I was captured by the Apes instead. I hadn't seen you for the longest time after that night."

"How do you know that I'm your son, then?" William asked.

"I'd recognize you anywhere, William."

"Because of my hide color, right?"

"No.." Cyril said, smiling a little. ""Because of your eyes. You have the same ones that belonged to your mother."

The Black-and-White dragon cried harder.

"Why are you only telling me all of this now?" He asked.

"I wasn't sure how you would handle the news." Cyril replied solemnly. "I didn't know if you would believe me, or hate me forever for leaving you in such a harsh life."

William walked forwards and hugged the Ice Guardian.

"I don't hate you, Cy... I mean, Father." He said, unleashing a wave of tears. "I just wish I could have gotten to know you sooner."

Cyril hugged back, crying just as hard.

"You're home now, my son." He said happily. "We can start anew."

For a time, the two dragons, father and son, held each other this way. After a lifetime of being separated, they were finally a family.

Ignitus sighed as he watched this.

"Cyril, I'm sorry to break up your heartfelt reunion," He said, "but it is time that William began training his abilities."

The Ice Guardian broke the hug and looked over at Ignitus.

Are you to train him alone, Ignitus?" He asked.

"You may aid in the raining, if you wish." The Teal dragon replied. "I shall be waiting for you in the training hall, when no one is around."

"Why?" William asked. "Why not just walk with us?"

"I'm afraid that I must keep my new existence a secret from the outside world." Ignitus stated. "I am allowed a few exceptions, but even **they **must swear to secrecy. You two are those exceptions, so you must promise to never speak of me around the the others."

"I don't think I understand..." The Black-and-White dragon responded.

"That is how it must be, young dragon. The role of the Chronicler should not be known about by the populace."

"Can I at least tell Spyro and Cynder?"

The Teal dragon sighed, shutting his eyes.

"When the right time comes, they will learn for themselves. That time, however, is far from now. So, will you two swear not to tell a soul about me?"

"I swear, old friend." Cyril agreed.

"I swear too, I guess." William added, reluctantly.

"Thank you, both of you." Ignitus replied. "Now then, I shall be waiting for you in the training hall."

With that said, the Teal dragon vanished in a blue flash of Light.

...

A short while later, William and Cyril arrived in the training hall.

The hall was almost identical to the one in the old temple, but the statue of Malefor had been taken down. Plans were currently underway to construct a new statue: One of Spyro and Cynder.

Ignitus stood on a balcony, waiting for the two other dragons to arrive.

"Get into position to begin the training, young dragon." He declared.

The Black-and-White dragon did as was commanded, getting into a battle stance in the center of the arena, while Cyril stood watch from the entrance.

"I'm ready, Ignitus." William said.

"good." The Teal dragon declared. "Now then, as was said much earlier, you have control over Nothingness. When you strike the test dummies that appear, try to transform them into energy and use it to enhance your own stamina."

"How do I do that?"

"the ability will came naturally, young dragon."

A moment later, half a dozen straw dummies appeared out of the floor.

With a start, William darted across the training ring, blasting the attacking dummies with the Black-and-White energy. one by one, each of the dummies burst into black flames as they were struck, and then crumpled to the floor. Each and every one of them started dissolving, until nothing remained of them, At the same time, William found himself suddenly becoming more energetic.

Cyril's mouth gaped open in amazement.

"Amazing.." He said, astonished.

"Well done, young dragon." Ignitus stated, satisfied. "It seems that you have more control over your Nothingness than previously believed."

"So what now?" William asked.

"You shall go through the session again, only against more enemies." the Teal dragon replied. "Let's see how you fair against a full dozen."

Twelve Ape dummies appeared out of the floor.

"Begin, young dragon."

...

A good while later, in the Temple gardens...

Bruneth and Vitari sat behind a pair of bushes overlooking the tree that Spyro and Cynder sat beneath on a previous night. The Brown dragoness was absolutely displeased with her Blood Red companion.

"Would you care to explain why we're wasting our time out here?" She demanded angrily. "We're supposed to be keeping an eye on Spyro and Cynder, not wasting our time pussyfooting around in this garden!"

"I'll have you know that those two are fluently in this garden regularly." Bruneth snapped. "And believe me: I don't like being in this stinky old place any more than **you** do. So shut up, you insufferable bitch!"

Vitari snarled at her "companion." "You had better pray to whatever Ancestors you have that I don't kill you before the day is out."

"Ha!" Bruneth bellowed. "You can't scare a Fear dragon!"

Vitari was about to make another comment, but she suddenly saw something out of the corner of her eye.

"Someone's coming." She whispered, crouching down. "Try not to stand out, pinhead."

The Red dragon harrumphed.

The two dragons hid behind the bushes as the person Vitari saw came into view.

It was a young Ice dragoness, with a blue hide and a crystal-like pattern on her head. Bruneth licked his lips in delight.

"What have we here?" He asked gleefully. "A cute little Ice dragoness all on her own?"

Vitari bashed Bruneth on the head.

"Hey!" He shouted angrily.

"Don't get any ideas, moron." The Brown dragoness sneered. "We don't need to waste our time on every random dragon we see. We need to stick to Spyro and Cynder."

"Maybe she's a friend of theirs." Bruneth suggested.

"And what makes you think _that_?"

"There aren't very many dragons within their age range staying at this temple. If she's in this garden at this time, then it's possible that she's staying here. And if she's staying here..."

"... Then it's highly likely that she's training alongside those two infernal lice." Vitari finished. She thought on it for a moment. "Perhaps that is truly the case."

"Let's keep an eye on her and see what she's up to." Bruneth declared.

"Fine."

As the Blood red and Brown dragons spiced on the Ice dragoness, she sat down on a large boulder on the other side of the garden.

She sighed unhappily.

"Oh, what do I do?" Blizzard Lamented. "I'm grateful that William was kind enough to provide me with a place to stay for the time being, but I can't stay here forever, can I?"

The dragoness looked down at the ground beneath her.

"He's definitely not like other dragons. That can be guess as much just by looking at him. I wonder what he thinks of me..."

Immediately, Blizzard scolded herself.

"No, Blizzard! Don't assume that he'll fall head over heels for you just because you met him during the Day of the Bonds. It doesn't matter how lonely you feel: You just met him."

A moment later, the dragoness started to cry.

"Oh, why do I have to be alone?... Why?"

Unsure of what to do, Blizzard started to sing in an attempt to make herself feel better.

It barely worked.


	10. The First time I ever saw your Face

Chapter 9: The first time I ever saw your face.

**Disclaimer: The below song is owned by Roberta Flack.**

...

William walked through the many winding halls of the Dragon Temple. He had just finished his training session with Ignitus and Cyril, and was now heading for the gardens out back. He agreed to spend some more time with the Ice guardian later.

In just a little over an hour, he had learned that Cyril was his father, the world he once believed to be his home was not, and that the dragon race would eventually depend on him to save it from some as-yet-undiscovered evil.

_Sure is a lot to take in,_ he thought to himself. _But, at least I won't have to face that evil alone, right? Plus, I have family now. I should be happy._

Eventually, William walked out of the Temple structure and found himself in the gardens. The afternoon sun shined brightly down on the landscape, making everything feel warm and inviting. The wind blowed gently across the Black-and-White dragon's scales. Songbirds chirped here and there, the trees rustled, and the distant chatter of Warfang's citizens could be heard all around him.

William sighed peacefully.

_Wonderful... Simply wonderful._

Suddenly, something rung in William's earholes. Someone was singing on the other side of the gardens. It was a beautiful voice, with the most touching, familiar lyrics.

The first time ever I saw your face  
I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave  
To the dark and the empty skies, my love,  
To the dark and the empty skies.

"Who could that be?" The Black-and-White dragon wondered out loud.

William ventured off to find the source of the singing as it continued.

The first time ever I kissed your mouth  
And felt your heart beat close to mine  
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird  
That was there at my command, my love  
That was there at my command.

Eventually, the Black-and-White dragon found the person singing. It was Blizzard, sitting atop a tall rock. He gaped in wonder at her heavenly voice, and slowly approached her as she continued with her heavenly voice.

And the first time ever I lay with you  
I felt your heart so close to mine  
And I knew our joy would fill the earth  
And last till the end of time my love  
It would last till the end of time my love

Blizzard stopped singing and looked upwards at the setting sun, tears forming in her eyes. William cried as well: He knew this song by heart.

He climbed up onto the rock and sang the last part of the song.

The first time ever I saw your face, your face,  
your face, your face

As William finished singing, Blizzard turned around to face him, surprised to see the Black-and-White dragon before her.

"You know the song?" She asked, still teary-eyed as she looked upon him.

"When I was very little," William replied, sitting down next to the Ice dragoness. "My mother.. well the woman I believed to be my mother, sang it to me every night. I'll always remember the song, and I sing it whenever I'm depressed."

Blizzard looked away, struggling to fight back the tears in her eyes. William looked on the upset dragoness, concerned.

"What's the matter?" He asked, wishing to look into the dragoness's eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I was just thinking about my parents." She said solemnly. "It's during times like this that I wish they were here to comfort me. It seems like they passed away only yesterday."

The Ice dragoness had absolut sorrow in her eyes. William used a forepaw to brush away a tear form her face.

"My parents are gone, too." He said soothingly. "Even if they were just foster parents, I loved them just as much as the real thing. I know what it's like to lose someone you love. It hurts, but you must know that you aren't all alone: There's plenty of others in this temple too, like Spyro and Cynder, the Guardians, and me. And if you ever need someone to talk to about this sort of thing, I'll be there for you."

Blizzard looked up into William's Emerald eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, William." She said. "I've never had a more caring, understanding friend than you."

William blushed.

"It's not a problem." He replied. "I hate seeing people in pain while I stand around and do nothing."

The Black-and-White dragon got off of the rock and turned to walke back to the Temple.

"Well, I've got to go. See ya."

Blizzard quickly jumped down and called after him.

"William?"

The Black-and-White dragon turned around to look at her.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Would.. uh.." She stamered nervously. "Would you like to go on a walk with me?"

William smiled.

"I'd love to, Blizzard." He answered, walking back to her. She smiled back.

"Thank you."

The two young dragons turned to leave for the city limits.

In the meantime, Bruneth and Vitari slowly came out from hiding. Disgust painted the Brown dragoness's face.

"Nonsensical crap." She sneered. "To think that two dragons would behave in such a stupid manner. Not even you, Bruneth. Don't you agree?"

The Blood Red dragon could bare stop himself from bursting into laughter.

"He's a Cow dragon!" He shouted. "A fucking COW DRAGON!"

"Quiet down, you dolt." Vitari snarled. "Blow our cover, why don't you?"

"Oh, I don't care."

Bruneth started spreading his wings for flight.

"Where do you think **you're** going?" Vitari demanded.

"I just can't pass an opportunity like this up." The Blood Red dragon declared. "I'm going to go have some fun with that Ice dragoness, AND smack around that laughing stock, just for kicks."

"So, you're willingly disobeying orders." The Brown dragoness said with disapproval.

"It's not disobeying to have a little fun every now and then." Bruneth replied. "I'll be back in a little while.

With that said, the Blood Red dragon took off, while the Brown dragoness sighed with contempt.

"Idiot."

...

William and Blizzard walked through the many streets of the Markes section of Warfang, gazing up at the incredible scenery the city had to offer. It would still be some time before the city would be fully repaired from the attack it suffered, but it still looked stunning in the evening rays of the sun. The White marble streets were laden with all sorts of creatures, both Dragon and Nondragon, all of whom went about their business.

As the two young dragons went about their way, they stopped by a Mole vendor's cart on the side of the street.

"Why, you two young dragonz zeem like zee perfect couple." The Mole said happily. "Perhapz zomething amonst my warez zparkz your interest, no?"

The two young dragons blushed simultaneously.

"We're uh, we're not a couple." Blizzard said nervously.

"Ah, I zee. Well, that doezn't ztop you from looking, doez it?"

"No, I guess not.." William replied.

The vendor had a vast array of necklaces, rings, bangles, chokers, and other assorted bits of jewelry. There were also an array of finely crafted bands, which could be tied around one's horn.

"Zee anything you like, mizz?" The Mole asked, smiling.

Blizzard stared down at a small horn band that sat in the middle of the vendor's table. It was decorated in elaborate patterns of zigzags of various colors, and in the middle of the cloth was the symbol of Ice.

"How much for the horn band?" She asked., pointing to it.

"Ah, you have zee fine tazte indeed, Mizz." The Mole replied. "That right there is made of pure zilk and dyed with the most preciouz dyez. It uzually coztz zixty ot eighty zilver coinz, but for you, thirty coinz."

"Oh.." Blizzard said sadly. "Sorry, but I can't afford it."

The Ice dragoness turned and walked away, towards an alleyway that led to the temple.

William, saddened to see the dragoness walk away disappointed, pulled a pouch of coins out of his satchel, handed it to the Mole, and took the horn band.

"Keep the change." He said, smirking.

"Az you wizh, Zir." The Mole said, scooping up the pouch.

Suddenly, a great scream filled the air. William gasped in shock.

"BLIZZARD!" He exclaimed.

...

After Blizzard turned down the alleyway, she sighed with disappointment.

"Well, it was just some band.." She reassured herself. "There are more important things than jewelry, right?"

The Ice dragoness continued on her way, still feeling unhappy.

Suddenly, a great, shadowy figure with horrible, demonic eyes appeared out of nowhere right in front of her. She gasped in surprise and alarm.

"Hello, little dragoness." The figure said malevolently.

Before Blizzard could do anything, the figure slashed her across the face with its talons. She screamed in pain as she crashed to the ground. The figured laughed.

"Ice dragons." He said mockingly. "Pathetic little things."

Suddenly, someone shouted nearby.

"BLIZZARD!"

"Ah, here comes the cow." The figure declared casually.

Blizzard cried in pain as the figure lifter her by her tail into the air with a forepaw.

...

Not a moment later, William ran around the corner and into the alleyway, quick as a flash. He was shocked to see a large, Blood Red dragon with horrible, red eyes lifting Blizzard into the air.

"Hello, Cow!" The large dragon shouted gleefully.

"William, help!" Blizzard pleaded, dangling in the air.

"Put her down!" William demanded, snarling. "NOW!"

"Oh, you want me to put her down, cow?" The dragon chided. "Sure, I'll put her down!"

Suddenly, the dragon tossed Blizzard with full force right through the air at William. Before the Black-and-White dragon could react, both he and the Ice dragoness crumpled hard to the ground.

Blizzard moaned in agony as William struggled to get back onto his feet, pain coursing throughout his entire body. In the meantime, the large dragon came charging forwards, laughing like a maddrake.

The dragon grabbed William by the back of the head and lifted him into the air, holding him at .

"The name's Bruneth." the dragon said gleefully. "The Fury of Fear. Pleased to meetchya, Mr. Cow."

"Mr. Cow?" William sneered. "You are so dead!"

The Black-and-White dragon tried with all his ability to claw at Bruneth's neck and eyes with his forepaws, but the Red dragon held him at foreleg's length.

"Sorry, Cow." Bruneth chided. "You're just a bit too small to take on someone of MY size!"

The Red dragon then quickly slammed William's face hard against the left wall of the alleyway. The Black-and-White dragon cried out in agony as he hit the marble, a large number of gashes cut into his face.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Bruneth taunted. The Red dragon slammed William's face into the other side of the alleyway, and the smaller dragon cried out again.

"And I'm not even using my element yet!"

Bruneth spun William around in the air and tossed him out of the alleyway. The Black-and-White dragon flew clear across the steet and crashed against a building on the other side. A good chunk of the marble was smashed to pieces upon the impact.

William twitched in horrible pain on the gravel. Several of his bones were broken, though he didn't know which. Tears flowed from his eyes.

_I can't take him,_ William thought. _He's too strong!_

As this happened, Bruneth grabbed Blizzard up off the ground, draped her over his back, and stomped out of the alleyway into the street.

A massive crowd had been formed by the commotion. Dragons, Moles and Cats all stood in shock and alarm at the sight of the Blood Red dragon.

Bruneth looked around at them all, smirking.

"Here me now, pathetic little creatures!" He bellowed triumphantly. "Ther Furies have RETURNED!"

He then inhaled a great breath of air, and blew it out with full force. A massive last of Fear breath escaped the dragon's maw, and filled the streets with incredible speed.

Immediately, all of the beings in the crowd turned and ran away, fleeing in terror due to the Red dragon's magic.

William, meanwhile, discovered that he could still stand, so he got up onto his feet as fast as his injured body would allow. Bruneth saw this, and chuckled.

"Still want to roughhouse, Mr. Cow?" He chided.

"Put... Blizzard... DOWN!" William shouted, snarling through his pain.

"Oh, so it's the Ice dragoness you want, eh?" Bruneth taunted. He lifted the moaning girl off of his back and carried her by her gruff with his fangs.

"Come and claim your prize, little cow." The Red dragon said through Blizzard's gruff.

The Black-and-White dragon moved forwards, enraged.

_Even if he's stronger than me, I won't let him hurt Blizzard!_

...

The caravan approached the city of Warfang, finally able to find the city.

It was a good six carriages in length, and had a mixture of dragons, Moles, Cats, and one dragonfly.

Sparx.

Ever since Malefor's scheme had come to an end, and the world was saved from destruction, Sparx left with some of the Guardians' soldiers to search for Spyro and Cynder. The dragonfly wanted to find those two more than anything. Unfortunately, it seemed like the entire world got rearranged; None of the members of the caravan had any idead where they were for almost an entire week.

The caravan had only just recently found their way back to the city, and had to return there due to their dwindling food supply.

The dragonfly was frusterated.

"Where could those two lugheads be?" He shouted from his place in the front carriage. "We've been looking for weeks, now! How can we not find them! It's not like they could get far, right?"

"Beats me." A Cheetah replied.

"I didn't ask you, Zane!"

"Sorry..."

Zane was a young Cheetah, and one of the archers who lived in Hunter's village. He was there when Prowlus and the other Cheetahs joined the battle for Warfang, and was one of the first to sign up for the search for Spyro and Cynder, right after Sparx. Like Hunter, Zane preferred to wear a cloak, only his was Green in color. He also wore thick Green stockins on his ankles, and a small dagger sheath was tied to his right ankle.

Sparx sighed in contempt and sat down. His thoughts soon turned from annoyance to worry.

_I hope you're okay, man_.

...

A group of Moles ran screaming into the Temple, having just come from the Market district.

"HELP!" One of the Moles shouted, flailing his limbs. "ZOMEBODY HELP!"

Spyro and Cynder, having heard the commotion, came running to see what was wrong.

"Whats the problem?" The Purple dragon demanded.

"A TERRIBLE BLOOD RED DRAGON IZ TERRORIZING ZEE MARKETPLACE!" The other Mole exclaimed. "HE'Z BEATING ZEE DAYLIGHTZ OUT OF A PAIR OF ZMALLER DRAGONZ!"

"Smaller dragons?" Cynder shouted.

"YEZ! A BLUE ONE AND A BLACK-AND-WHITE ONE!"

The Purple and Black dragons gasped in horror.

"WILLIAM!"

Immediately, The two dragons dashed past the Moles and fled towards the Market district of Warfang.

...

William crashed right through a vender's fruitstand, utterly destroying it and sending apples and Oranges allover the place. Bruneth had just tossed him through the air again, laughing.

"You suck at this, Cow!" The Red dragon chided. "How do you expect to win the Ice dragoness if you can't even claw at me?"

Blizzard's face was coved in blood on the left side. She tried to free herself by reaching behind her torso and clawing at Bruneth's neck, but he spotted what she was trying to do and dropped her down hard on her back. She howled in agony, tears flowing from her face.

"Nice try, little girl!" He taunted.

The Black-and-White dragon climbed back onto his feet, feeling even more pain than ever before. He struggled to collapse due to the distress. However, despite this, he continued on.

_Doesn't he ever get tired? It's like he's on steroids! Of course, those don't exist in the Dragon Realms..._

"What the fuck do you want from her, anyway?" William demanded. "What did she do to you, huh?"

"Nothing, really" Bruneth smirked. "It's just fun to mess with Ice dragonesses like this before the REAL fun begins. You know what they say about them, right?"

William took several steps forward, snarling.

"What, pray tell, do they say about Ice dragonesses?"

"Fire dragonesses are too assertive, Earth dragonesses are too smart, and Lightning dragonesses are too hyper. Ice dragonesses, however, are complete pushovers: The ideal mate for any self-respecting dragon."

Blizzard gasped, while William instantly seethed with rage.

Both of them knew what Bruneth meant. The Red dragon chuckled with evil intent.

"That's right..." He said, grabbing Blizzard by the neck. "Once you're dealt with, me and her are gonna have a BLAST together!"

"No!" The Ice dragoness shouted in fear, trying to break free of Bruneth's grip.

"You BASTARD!" William screamed.

Suddenly, the Black-and-White dragon felt something coming over him. His entire body gave off an eerie, Black-and-White mist that changed colors rapidly. Next, the scales on William's body started to change in tone between Black and White at a rapid rate. Now, instead of his scales being solid colors, the dragon's body was a blur of Black and White energy.

Bruneth and Blizzard stared at William in surprise and alarm.

"William?" The Ice dragoness asked.

_What's going on?_

"What the fuck?" The red dragon shouted.

Without thinking, William quickly leapt across the sky, flying over clear over Bruneth's head. He came to a landing, spun around, and opened his mouth, unleashed a great blast of Nothingness at the Red dragon's back.

Bruneth cried out in pain, unable to dodge out of the way in time, and toppled over onto his side, dropping Blizzard in the process.

The red dragon twitched wildly as the Black-and-White energy dissolved his scales and flesh.

As the Red dragon slowly but painfully disintegrated, William found his own body suddenly healing at the same pace. His cuts and gashes were gone, and his broken bones were mended.

_So, this is the power that Nothingness has._

Soon, a massive, smoking hole had been formed on Bruneth's back, which continued to grow in size. Eventually, after William decided he had crippled the Red dragon enough, he put an end to the energy, and the dissolving ceased.

Bruneth, now barely able to move from the exposure of his inner back flesh, snarled in anger at the.

"Damn you!" He roared. "You won't get away with this!"

"I believe I already have." William snapped.

Infuriated, Bruneth charged fowards, intent on attacking again.

Before either he or William could strike again, however, Cynder suddenly came swooping out of the sky and blasted Bruneth's exposed flesh with a blast of Poison breath.

The Red dragon screamed in agony as his wound was made worse by the poison.

"By the Ancestors, it BURNS!"

Spyro then flew into view and blasted the Red dragon's wound with a burst of Fire breath, setting it ablaze. The Fire magic mixed with the Poison already spreading, and suddenly produced a great, Green-colored Flames allover Bruneth's

The Red dragon screamed once again as he was burned alive within seconds.

Spyro and Cynder pulled Blizzard to safety as the Red dragon toppled back onto the ground, reduced to a flaming, charred-black corpse on the street.

William watched with amazement and horror as it all happened.

"Holy crap..." He said, awestruck. "I had no idea Fire and Poison could do that..."

"William, are you alright?" Spyro asked, running up to the Black-and-White dragon.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He answered. "I'm just glad that creep was killed before he-"

William suddenly gasped with realization.

"BLIZZARD!"

The Black-and-White dragon quickly pushed past Spyro and ran over to where the Ice dragoness way laying on the ground. Cynder was standing over her, trying to lift the other dragoness up onto her back, though was clearly struggling.

"Is she alright?" William asked, horribly worried.

"She passed out from the pain she's suffered, but she'll be fine." Cynder replied. "We need to get her back to the Temple to heal."

The Black-and-White dragon stepped forwards and took over lifting Blizzard, placing her over his back. As he did this, Spyro came walking up to him.

"You sure you want to carry her, William?" The Purple dragon asked.

"YES!" The Black-and-White dragon declared. "Don't try to stop me!"

"Relax, we won't." Cynder said reassuringly. "Come on: We need to tell the Guardians about this."

With that said, the three young dragons flew back to the Temple with their injured companion.

As they left, the Brown dragoness Vitari watched from a nearby rooftop. She eyed the charred remains of Bruneth and laughed.

"So, Spyro and Cynder still have their Elemental powers." She stated. "And it seems that the Black-and-White one has unique powers as well. This is quite the find, even it if meant losing that obnoxious buffoon to the afterlife. HA!"

Vitari waved a forepaw and vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

"I wonder how Master Zevron is going to take the news..."

...

A while later, Spyro, Cynder and William arrived at the Temple and immediately fled to the infirmary.

As the Healers tended to the weakened Ice dragoness, The Purple and Black dragons left to find the Guardians. William, however, refused to leave Blizzard's side.

In the meantime, Spyro and Cynder found the three Guardians and explained to them everything that happeneded as best as they could.

"Oh my!" Volteer exclaimed. "This is quite serious, disasterous, and monsterous!"

"Indeed." Terrador stated. "Did the Red dragon happen to state his reasons for attacking?"

"Beats me." Cynder replied. "We didn't arrive until much later into the fight. William might know, though."

"Where is he now?" Cyril demanded.

"I think he's in the infirmary with Blizzard." Spyro answered.

"Then I'll go talk to him."

Moments later, Cyril walked into the Infirmary.

The Ice Guardian walked up to the weakened dragoness, who was being attended to by a few Cheetah medics. William was off to the side, clutching the unconscious dragoness's forepaw.

"Stand aside." Cyril demanded.

As the Cheetahs stood back, the Ice Guardian proceeded to use his magic to heal Blizzard's wounds. He created a stream of water frome his forepaws, which cleanes each bleeding wound and sealed it shut.

William was astounded.

"How are you doing that, father?" He asked. "I thought Ice dragons could only used Ice magic."

"I have the ability to wield Water as well." Cyril replied. "It's a trait I inherited from the long line of noble ancestors I have. If you were an Ice dragon too, William, you would've inherited the same ability."

Soon, all of Blizzard's wounds were completely healed, though she was still alseep.

"Let's bring her back to her room." The ice Guardian stated. "She'll need time to recover."

William, overcome with joy, ran up and hugged Cyril.

"Thank you, father."

"Your welcome."

The Ice Guardian lifted Blizzard onto her back and proceeded to carry her to her room, William following close behind.

"Spyro and Cynder explained what happened earlier," Cyril began, "but they didn't know the full story. Care to explain the full story?"

The Black-and-White dragon explained everything that happened, from the meeting with the Vendor, to Bruneth being dissolved by William'sNothingness.

"I can see why Ignitus said it was so dangerous." William stated. "It was like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Aye." Cyril agreed. "Now, who did this Bruneth say he worked for again?"

"I think he said something about 'The Furies' returning, but I've never heard of them."

"The Furies?" The Ice Guardian became worried. "Are you absolutely **sure** that's what he said?"

"Well, no, but I THINK that's what he said."

"Oh dear..."

William looked up at Cyril, concerned.

"What's the matter, father?"

"At the moment, nothing." The Ice Guardian replied. "Let's just focus on young Blizzard for now."

The two dragons walked into Blizzard's room and laid her down on her cushion. Cyril turned to leave, but William stayed behind.

"I'd like to wait here until she wakes up."

"Why?" Cyril asked, an eyebrow raised.

The Black-and-White dragon frowned.

"Well... I'm worried about her."

The Ice Guardian sighed.

"As you wish, William.."

Cyril turned and left the room, shutting the door gently behind himself. William, meanwhile, walked over to a blue couch on the other side of the room and sat down on it. He reached into his satchel and produced the horn band.

"All of this stress, just to find a moment to present this to you..." He sighed. "I hope you wake up soon, Blizzard."

The Black-and-White dragon shut his eyes, and slowly drifted off into sleep.

...

"Do you think she'll be alright, Cyn?" Spyro asked.

He and Cynder had returned to their room a while ago. The Black dragoness was lying on their cushion, while the Purple dragon stood by the balcony, worry on his face.

"I'm sure she's fine, Spyro." Cynder replied.

"That Bruneth guy really did a number on her! Who knows if she'll pull through?"

"Pull through?" The Black dragoness sat up and looked at Spyro. "Spyro, you act as though she was on the brink of death. And besides, we were able to save her, weren't we? We got her back to the Temple, and she's been treated for her wounds. There's nothing to worry about, Spy."

"I... guess you're right." The Purple dragon said, turning around. "I just can't help but worry about her, though. She's a friend."

"You worry about _everyone_." Cynder teased. "You worry about people who aren't even real."

"Oh, ha ha." Spyro replied, smiling.

The Purple dragon approached the Black dragoness, who lied back down, smiling.

"Now then, Mr. Worrywart," She began, "I believe we were going to try a little _something_ tonight."

Spyro climbed up onto the cushion and stood over Cynder.

"Yes, we are."

The Purple dragon slowly lowered himself down to the dragoness and placed himself inside her.

The two young dragons looked into each other's eyes, both of their gazes filled with happiness. Each one had found the one being who completed them in a way no other could. On this night, they were not two separate dragons: They were a single, complete being.

Neither Spyro nor Cynder would ever forget this night for the rest of their days.

...

Later that night.

Blizzard slowly woke up from her slumber.

She still felt a little pain on various parts of her body, especially the side of her face, but none of it was enough to be distracting.

Blizzard sat up an yawned, though she was confused.

_How did I end up back in here? And where is William?_

It didn't take long for her to get her answer.

She spotted the Black-and-White dragon fast asleep on the blue couch across the room. The Ice dragoness walked towards him, smiling.

_He saved me from that creep._

Blizzard spotted something clutched in the sleeping dragon's forepaw. It was the horn band from the vendor's cart, the one she wanted so badly.

_He actually got the band for me? Maybe he really DOES love me._

The Ice dragoness bent her head down and softly kissed the sleeping dragon on the cheek.

"Thank you, William." She said softly.

Blizzard then lied down next to the Black-and-White dragon and cuddled up close to him. She placed her head underneath his chin, and entwined her tail with his. She felt safe.

"I hope you don't mind finding me like this when you wake up, my love."

The Ice dragoness shut her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.


	11. A Perfect Start to an Almost Perfect day

Chapter 10: A perfect start to an almost perfect day.

"So, Bruneth is no more." Zevron stated.

"Yes, master." Vitari replied.

After the Blood Red dragon was slain, Vitari returned to the Cave in the forest to tell Zevron and the others the news.

"Good riddance." Vincent declared. "That fool was only a crutch from the start, with with his control of the Fear element."

"So, you are saying that I made a mistake to grant him status as a Fury." Zevron sneered.

The Grey dragon gasped.

"N-No, Master!" He stammered. "I didn't mean you any ill will! I misspoke."

"Whatever." The Black dragon said coldly. He turned his gaze back to Vitari. "So, who dealt the killing blow?"

"It was those two lice." The Dragoness replied. "They still have control over their magic, and used it to burn Bruneth to a crisp."

"I see..."

"However, they were not the ones to weaken him beforehand."

"What?" Vlad asked.

"Who did so, then?" Zevron demanded.

"Altough Bruneth was as competent on the battlefield as ever, he was eventually brought down by a strange, Black-and-White hided dragon."

Zevron's eyes lit up in surprise.

"A Black-and-White dragon?" He repeated.

"Yes, Master. And he wielded a strange energy that had a matching color scheme."

The Black dragon became silent. He was deep in thought.

_Could it be the same dragon as the one I encountered in the forest? No, that's impossible. He couldn't have moved across such a great distance so rapidly. Then again, he vanished before my eyes when I encountered him last..._

"Master?" Vincent asked.

The Black dragon shook his head.

"Vincent, you will take Bruneth's place and spy on Spyro and Cynder, as well as this Black-and-White dragon. We will need to know the full extent of their powers."

"As you command, Master." The Grey dragon responded, bowing his head.

"In the meantime, the time has come to prepare for an assault on Warfang. Vlad, you will summon forth what remains of Lord Malefor's Grublins and bring them here to mobilize."

"What of the Apes, Master?" The Green dragon queried.

"Apes are useless. They will only get in the way. Ignore them."

"As you wish, Master."

"Both of you, go. Now."

"Yes, Master." The Green and Grey dragons said in unison.

The two vanished in clouds of smoke, leaving Zevron and Vitari alone. The Grey dragoness approached the Black dragon, an inviting smile on her face.

"What shall you have _me_ do, master?" She asked playfully.

The Black dragon gave her a stoic.

"You may aid Vincent, or aid Vlad." He said coldly. "I have no use for you here."

Vitari frowned.

"Aww, are you sure that there isn't something you can think of?" She asked. "Something... _intimate_?"

The Grey dragoness rubbed up against Zevron's side.

Immediately, The Black dragon's eyes glowed Blood Red, and Vitari suddenly fell backwards onto the ground. She grabbed her own neck with her forepaws, and proceeded to choke herself. She gagged, eyes filled with horror, as Zevron glared down at her with anger.

"Learn your place, wench!" He bellowed. "We are not equals! You are my servant! My PAWN! You have no right to attempt to arouse me like a common whore!"

"But..." Vitari gagged.

"SILENCE!" Zevron roared, making the dragoness yelp through her choking. "If you wish to continue living, you will put aside any pathetic feelings you have. UNDERSTAND?"

"Y.." The dragoness whimpered. "...Yes."

Instantly, Vitari regained control of her body, and she stopped choking herself. The dragoness got up onto her feet, her head bent low.

"I'll be aiding Vincent in Warfang." She said solemnly.

"Fine." Zevron stated, stoic once again. "Go."

"Yes, master."

The Grey dragoness proceeded to vanish in black smoke, while the Black dragon proceeded to think to himself once again.

_A Black-and-White dragon... Why does that feelfamiliar to me?_

...

The next morning.

William slowly woke from slumber as the sun's rays shined through the glass wall and illuminated the stone floor of the room.

Before he opened his eyes, he realized that something was strange. He felt a strange warmth against his scales, which did not come from him. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that Blizzard was cuddled up against him , with her tail wrapped around his.

_What the? When did THIS happen?_

The Black-and-White dragon was about to get up and away from the dragoness, but stopped when he realized something.

_Wait... What am I doing?_

William lied back down, wrapping his forelegs around Blizzard. He smiled.

_She's so beautiful..._

A moment later, the Ice dragoness woke with a start. She realized that William wrapped his limbs around her, and turned her head to face him. The Black-and-White dragon let go of her, embarrased.

Blizzard was embarrased as well.

"Uh, good morning, William." She said nervously.

"Morning.." He replied.

Blizzard got up off the couch, turned around, and looked into William's eyes.

"Uh..." He stammered. "Why were you...?"

"I'm sorry." Blizzard said solemnly. "I couldn't help it. You've done so much for me, I guess I just feel safe when I'm around you..."

William got up to face her.

"It's alright." He said, smiling. "I don't mind."

Blizzard breathed a sigh a relief.

"William... there's something I want to tell you, but I'm afraid that I'll look stupid."

The Black-and-White dragon frowned.

"You won't look stupid." He reassured. "Go ahead and tell me."

"Okay..." The dragoness inhaled another breath of air nervously.

"William... I love you."

Blizzard let a few tears fall from her eyes.

"I know we only met recently, but I really do. You're the kindest dragon I've met in a long time. You brought me to a place to stay when you could've left me on my own. And then you saved me when that monster attacked me."

The dragoness cried even harder.

"I've been alone for so long. But when I'm with you, I feel complete."

William walked forwards and placed a forepaw on top of one of hers.

"I feel the same way." He said, smiling. Blizzard's eyes lit up.

"So, you..."

"I love you too." He stated happily. "When that Bruneth character hurt you, I couldn't bear to see you in such pain. And when he declared what he intended to do to you, I became so enraged that I went over the edge."

William began to tear up.

"I didn't want to lose you after meeting you so soon. I'd give my own life to keep you from losing yours."

Blizzard walked forwards and placed her head beneath William's chin.

"You'll never lose me." She promised.

The two dragons held each other in a loving embrace. They both cried, but the tears were of joy, for both William and Blizzard were happy to find the one they love.

As they held the embrace, a small Bronze mark suddenly appeared on each dragon's back.

"By the way," William said, "I got you something."

The Black-and-White dragon presented the Horn Band to Blizzard. He tied it around one of the dragoness's horns as she purred happily.

"Thank you for getting the band for me, William." Blizzard said gratefully.

"Your welcome." He replied, smiling.

The Black-and-White dragon leaned down and kissed the dragoness on the lips. The two dragons entwined their tails and held each other's forepaws.

Suddenly, the door swung open, catching them off guard. Cyril was standing there, slightly surprised.

"What have we here?" The Ice Guardian asked, an eyebrow raised.

William and Blizzard quickly let go of each other and turned to face Cyril.

"Uh, good morning, Cyril." The dragoness said nervously.

"I came to wake you two so you could get breakfast in the mess hall..." The older dragon stated. "... though it seems you two were already awake."

"Um, yeah..." William stated, feeling awkward.

Cyril eye them suspiciously.

"Turn around and face the other direction." He commanded.

"Why?" Blizzard asked.

"Just do it."

Shrugging, William and Blizzard turned away from Cyril, revealing their backs. The Ice Guardian inspected them both carefully. He discovered that they both had a mark on them, and that it was Bronze. The Ice Guardian sighed.

"I see that you two have declared your love for each other," He said, "but things have yet to get serious between you two."

The two younger dragons turned back around and looked at Cyril, surprised and confused.

"How do you...?" Blizzard asked.

"That will be explained later. For now, Blizzard, you should head off to the mess hall."

"Alright." The Ice dragoness kissed William on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Okay." The Black-and-White dragon replied, smiling.

The Ice dragoness pushed past Cyril and left the room, leaving him and William alone. The older dragon seemed unsatisfied about something.

"What's wrong, father?" William asked, concerned.

"Take a walk with me, William." Cyril replied. "We need to talk."

"If you say so..."

Cyril and William left Blizzard's chamber and walked down the hall. A feeling of dread spread throughout the young dragon's body.

_This won't end well, will it?_

"William," The Ice Guardian began, "How well do you know Blizzard?"

"Well, I know that her parents died, and she's been struggling to cope with it ever since." William answered. "I also know that she's been traveling by herself for a while, and that she's roughly my age."

"How long have you known her?" Cyril asked.

"Well, uh.. not long."

The Ice Guardian sighed.

"William, there's something that you need to learn about..."

Cyril spent a few moments explaining about the Multi-colored Marks that appear on a dragon's back when they find love, mate, and produce children. The young dragon was amazed.

"So, the first mark only appears when the love it true?" He asked.

"Yes." Cyril answered. "So, I know that you truly love Blizzard."

William frowned.

"You almost sound like it's a bad thing."

"No, no," Cyril replied. "I don't disapprove of Blizzard herself. It's just that... well, I wish you would have taken a bit more time first."

"What do you mean by that?" William demanded.

"A good relationship needs proper time to grow in order for it to be a happy one, my son. A great deal have tried jumping straight to mating in a relatively short time, and more often than not, those relationships ended in disaster."

"What about Spyro and Cynder?" William snapped. "Those two became mates in a really short time!"

"Not quite, William. Those two young dragons went through a great number of Ordeals together, and learned much about each other as well. You, on the other paw, have only recently met Blizzard, and know little about her."

The young dragon started becoming agitated.

"What are you saying, then?" He asked.

"Well, I'm cetainly not saying you should push her away." The Ice Guardian replied. William calmed down.

"You're not?"

"Of course not. What I **am** saying... no, asking, is that you take things easy with her for the time being. Don't assume that you're ready to jump into mating; things could become extremely complicated for you because of it, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

William sighed.

"Well, father, I hadn't even thought of that yet. And I certainly don't want to bring it up **now**; not after what that Bruneth bastard was planning to do Blizzard."

Cyril sighed with relief.

"Thank you, William." He said. "Now then, let's go join the others in the mess hall."

...

The caravan made its way through the front gates and towards the Temple at the center. As it went about its way, Sparx looked out the window at all of the citizens.

"Looks like this place is as bustling as always." He said. "It seems like only yesterday that everyone was in a panic over Male-something's army."

"Malefor." Zane corrected.

"Whatever."

"I wonder what Hunter's been up to lately.." Sparx stated quizically.

"I believe he said he was going to search on his own."

"That's Hunter for ya; Always doing things as a loner."

The Cheetah chuckled.

"Yeah... So, where do you think those to are?" Zane asked.

"If I knew, then I'd fly right over there and smack that big Purple idiot upside the head!" The dragonfly declared. The cheetah laughed.

"Maybe we'll get lucky." He said. "Maybe they're hiding right under our noses."

"Yeah, right.." Sparx replied, rolling his eyes.

...

As Cyril and William walked into the mess hall, they were greeted by Terrador, who sat at the end of the long table.

"Greetings." He said. "We've been waiting for you two."

On Terrador's left sat Volteer, Spyro and Blizzard. To his right was an empty cushion, followed by Cynder and a second vacant spot. Cyril and William took their seats in the places they assumed to be theirs.

"Now that we're all here.." The Earth dragon began, "We can discuss the recent attack that happened yesterday."

"We all already know about it, don't we?" Cynder asked. "What's there to talk about?"

"The Red dragon claimed to be a member of a group called the Furies." Cyril declared.

"The Furies?" Spyro asked. "Isn't that the name of the powerful elemental attacks that are achieved when enough Fure Gems have been gathered?"

"Well, yes..." The Ice Guardian dragon responded, "But the Furies is also the name of something else."

"Who _are_ the Furies?" Blizzard asked.

"A long time ago, during Malefor's younger years, a group of dragons, one of each element, attempted to take control over evil forces in an attempt to augment their natural abililties. They succeeded, but not in an expected way. Their natural elements were lost, and replaced by newer, more frightening ones. Their eyes were changed as well, tainted by evil and mutated into hideous, demonic gazes."

"Everything comes with a price, I suppose." William said.

"Yes. Frusterated that they were transformed in such a way, the dragons all rampaged acorss the world, each one causing a different brand of destruction. So, they became known as the Furies, due to their unending rage and madness."

"If they caused so much trouble, how come I haven't heard of them before?" Spyro asked.

"When Malefor came to power, he saw the Furies as a nuisance, and hunted down and killed them, one by one. It was assumed that they were all killed, and the memory of their deeds faded were greatly overshadowed by Malefor's."

"So, why would Bruneth claim that they've returned?" Cynder asked.

"That's the question, isn't it?" The Ice Guardian stated. "A Purple dragon is born only once every ten generations. And the Furies were older than Malefor. Even if some of them escaped his wrath, then surely they would have all died of old age by this time period."

"Maybe he was lying." Spyro suggested.

"For our sake, let us hope so." Cyril stated. "The Furies, though not as mighty as the Dark Master, were still a force to be reckoned with."

"Even if these 'Furies' really are returning," Cynder declared. "We'll put a stop to whatever they're up to."

"Indeed..." Terrador replied. "In any case, I think we've discussed this enough for the time being. Let's begin eating."

Unfortunately, before any of them could even begin, a Cat messenger stepped into the mess hall and walked up to the Earth Guardian.

"Sir, the Search Party has just returned to the city." He declared

"Search Party?" Spyro asked, confused.

"After you two didn't turn up, we sent out a group to find you and see you returned safely to Warfang." Volteer answered. "Of course, you reappeared quite soon after they left, and we weren't able to send the Search Party any word of your return."

"This will be most awkward." Terrador said, getting up from the table. "Especially for Sparx."

Immediately, Spyro nearly choked on a grape in surprise. Everyone looked at the Purple dragon, alarmed.

"Are you alright?" Blizzard.

"SPARX!" Spyro exclaimed. "I haven't seen or thought about him in AGES!"

The Purple dragon banged his head against the table in embarrassment.

"Calm down, Spyro." Cynder said. "That dragonfly's pretty easy to forget about."

"That's not funny, Cyn!"

"Sorry..."

"Take it easy, you two." Terrador stated. "You two may go and greet him if you wish."

"Sure..."

Spyro got up from the table and followed the Cheetah and the Earth dragon out of the mess hall, still feeling embarrased. Cynder followed after him, while William chuckled.

"Who's Sparx?" Blizzard asked, confused.

"He's an old friend of Spyro's." The Black-and-White dragon replied. "You'll probably meet him later."

"Alright..." The Ice dragoness got up from the table. "Say, would you like to go to the gardens with me?"

"Of course." William answered, getting up. "Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?"

Blizzard giggled.

The two young dragons walked towards the Temple Gardens, their tails entwined. Cyril watched as they left, smiling.

"I used to do the same thing with Crystal..." He mused.

"Young love is quite the magical, wonderful, incredibly thing, isn't it?" Volteer commented.

"Aye."

...

Sparx and Zane approached the front steps of the Temple as the other members of the caravan disperced. The dragonfly grumbled.

"Over a week and a half of searching, completely wasted!"

"It's not as if we didn't try." Zane reassured. "We combed over every inch of the Valley of Avalar."

"Maybe we should've tried that giant Jungle that's appeared next to it..."

"Well, that could be the place..."

The Cheetah and Dragonfly ascended the steps and approached the doorway. The Guards opened the doors and let them inside. When the pair entered the Temple's Main lobby, the Dragonfly's jaw nearly hit the floor in surpise.

Across the way stood Terrador, who nodded his head in greeting, and two young dragons.

It was Spyro and Cynder.

"SPYRO!" Sparx shouted happily.

"Hi, Sparx..." Spyro said nervously.

The yellow dragonfly flew across the hall, intending to hug Spyro's face. However, he remembered his annoyance, so he smacked Spyro across the top of the head.

"HEY!" The Purple dragon exclaimed, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"I've been looking allover the place for you, jerk!" Sparx snapped.

Everyone else in the room laughed. Despite his tone, everyone knew that Sparx cared deeply for the Purple dragon. After all, they were like brothers their entire lives.

Spyro sighed.

"Sorry.."

"Sorry? I've been worried sick, you stupid..." The dragonfly quit yelling, and just shook his head. "Nevermind. I'm just happy to see you're okay."

Cynder cleared her throat.

"Oh, and you too, Cynder." Sparx quickly added.

"Thank you."

"I guess I can tell the others that we can call of the Search Party." Zane said.

"Yeah, you do that." The dragonfly replied. "Thanks for the help the whole time, by the way."

"Your welcome, Sparx."

The Cheetach turned around and walked back out of the Temple. The dragonfly, meanwhile, turned to face Spyro and Cynder.

"So, what have you two been up to this past week and a half?" He asked.

The two young dragons exchanged glances, blushing.

...

William and Blizzard laid together on top of their boulder, looking up at the morning sky and holding paws together.

"I haven't felt this happy in ages." Blizzard said, smiling.

"Me neither." William replied, just as happy.

The two young dragons stayed there for a long while, admiring the beautiful landscape around them.

"Hey, Blizzard?" William asked.

"Yes?"

"Would be okay if I... uh... asked you some questions?"

"Questions?" The Ice dragoness became confused. "About what?"

"About your past. I... don't really know much about you."

The Black-and-White dragon felt uncomfortable.

He couldn't help but put his father's words into consideration, but he didn't want to put Blizzard on the spotlight either.

The dragoness sighed.

"Most of it is kind of painful to think about.." She said solemnly. William sighed.

"I understand. I'm sorry."

The dragoness wrapped her tail around his.

"Don't be." She reassured. "If you want to know, then I'll tell you."

"Are you sure you're comfortable with bringing it up?"

"Positive. I trust you with my life, William."

The Black-and-White dragon smiled.

"Likewise."

Blizzard inhaled a breath of air, and began her tale.

"I was hatched in a village in Dante's Freezer..."


	12. One Final Night

Chapter 11: One final night

Two Months. That's how much time had passed.

In that time, William had trained a great deal to master his bizarre Nothingness energy. He could wield the energy for longer periods of time than when he first started training, but still had a long way to go before he could use it extensively.

When Sparx learned that Spyro and Cynder were not only newly made mates, but attempting to have children, the dragonfly was shocked an alarmed. After all the bickering the two dragons passed between each other after they all escaped from that Crystal prison, Sparx never expected them to become an item. However, despite being caught off guard by this revelation, the dragonfly didn't really have any reason to disapprove of it. After all, he had finally gotten Spyro back into his life; he didn't want to ruin it by arguing with his brother about relationships.

Spyro and Cynder routinely attempted to produce an egg. However, each time resulted in failure: The Black dragoness had yet to become pregnant. The two were starting to become discouraged, but they received reassurance from Terrador.

"Don't lose hope so soon, young ones. It will happen when the right time comes."

"How will we know when it does?" Spyro asked, frowning.

"You won't. No one ever does. The forces of nature work according to their own will."

"If you say so, Terrador." Cynder stated, still a bit unsatisfied.

In the meantime, William and Blizzard had taken time to get to know each other better.

The Black-and-White dragon told the Ice dragoness about his time growing up in another world as a different creature, how he got the scar on his forepaw, and his first few days in the Dragon Realms. In turn, Blizzard told William about how her parents

...

Blizzard wandered trough the halls of the temple, waiting for William to finish his training. On a whim, she entered into the Black-and-White dragon's chamber and approached the balcony beyond.

The dragoness looked up at the midday sky. It was a wonderful light blue, with hardly a cloud to be seen. The Wind blew calmly across her blue scales.

Far below her, Spyro, Cynder and the dragonfly Sparx were walking through the gardens. The Black dragoness seemed upset about something, and Spyro was trying his best to calm her down. The trio entered the Temple again, vanishing from view.

_She must still be unhappy that she hasn't become pregnant, yet,_ Blizzard thought.

The Ice dragoness sat there, thinking about William. She ran a forepaw along her horn band, remembering what the Black-and-White dragon went through to get it for her. She smiled.

_He's done so much for me. I wish I could do the same for him somehow._

Feeling fatigue taking her, Blizzard turned around and walked back into Wiliam's room.

_I could really use a nap right about now. I'll go find William afterwards._

The Ice dragoness climbed onto William's bed cushion, curled up in a ball, and started daydreaming about the Black-and-White dragon until she slipped into slumber.

...

William dodged away from an oncoming attack from several dummies, their wooden clubs crashing against the stone floor.

"Use their momentum against them, young dragon!" Ignitus declared from his place on the balcony. "Turn their strategy into their downfall!"

The young dragon continued dodging the barrage of attacks. The smaller dummies ended up toppling onto the floor as they fell past William, while the larger dummies stayed on their feet.

Eventually, openings started appearing. The Black-and-White dragon made a mad dash around the dummies and started clawing at their exposed backs. One by one, William's enemies fell to the ground in torn, crumpled heaps of straw and wood.

"Well done, young dragon." Ignitus said, smiling. The Teal dragon flew down from the balcony and approached William as the dummies' remains vanished into the floor.

"You have made great progress in the last two months, William."

"Thank you." The younger dragon replied, panting.

Cyril, who had been watching from his usual place at the front of the training hall, approached his son.

"William, can I speak to you for a moment?" The Ice guardian asked.

"About what, father?" The young dragon asked.

"It is a matter of personal importance." Cyril answered.

William looked over at Ignitus.

"Your training is complete for the day." The Teal dragon stated. "I shall retire to the White Isle. fairwell."

With that said, the Chronicler vanished.

Cyril and William turned and left the training hall. As they walked through the Temple hallways, the Ice Guardian spoke.

"William, there will come a time in my life when I will be unable to continue as the Guardian of Ice."

"What do you mean?" William asked.

"Eventually, I will become an old dragon. My elemental powers will weaken, and I'll have to step down."

"But that isn't for many years to come, right? You've still got a long run ahead of you, right."

"True, very true." Cyril reasusred, nodding his head. "But my time won't last forever. I'll need someone to take my place as Guardian someday."

The Ice Guardian stopped and looked his son in the eyes.

"William, I would like you to take my place, when my time to step down comes."

The young dragon looked up at his father, puzzled.

"You want me to become the next Guardian of Ice?"

"Yes, my son. If you want to, of course."

William didn't know what to say.

"Why are you bringing this up now?" He asked. "Why not wait until you're much older?"

"I ask you now because the apprenticeship to become a Guardian takes several years." The Ice Guardian answered. "If I waited until I was an old man, it would be too late for you to take my place."

"Oh..." William sighed, causing Cyril to frown.

"Do not want the title, William?"

"It's not that. It's just... I haven't really thought about what I'd like to do when I get older. I'm not sure if I'd want to be a Guardian someday."

"I see..."

"Hey, don't get me wrong, father." William reassured. "I'm more than flattered that you'd want me to take your place. If I decided that I want the title, then I'll bear it with pride."

The Ice Guardian smiled.

"I'd expect no less from you."

William hugged his father.

"I'm going to go find Blizzard and see what she thinks."

"As you wish, William."

The Black-and-White dragon broke the hug and walked off to find the Ice dragoness.

As he ran down the hallways, he past by Spyro and Cynder's room, he heard the dragoness crying. However, Spyro could be heard in the room as well, so William decided to continue his search for Blizzard.

...

"Why isn't it working?" Cynder shouted, tears pouring down her face. "Why can't I become pregnant?"

Spyro held the Black dragoness in a loving embracing, trying his best to calm him down.

"Take it easy, Cyn." He said soothingly, nuzzling her. "You remember what Terrador said to us, right? It'll happen when the time comes."

"But I want it to happen NOW!" Cynder exclaimed miserably. "We keep trying and trying, but nothing comes of it! Do you think it's possible that all my years under Malefor's Corruption has rendered me sterile?"

Spyro hugged the upset dragoness even tighter.

"Not at all." He stated, rubbing the back of Cynder's head gently. "Don't assume the worst so soon, Cyn. We just need to keep trying."

The Black dragoness calmed down and looked Spyro in the eyes.

"Alright..." She said quietly. "I just wish it would happen soon."

"Me too, Cynder. Me too."

...

After seaching Blizzard's room and not finding her, William decided to search his own room.

_She sometimes likes to wait for me there. Maybe she's there now._

The Black-and-White dragon quietly opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, the Ice dragoness was lying asleep on William's cushion. He smiled and approached her.

As he did this, the dragoness stirred, lifting her head slightly.

"William, is that you?" She asked.

The Black-and-White dragon sat down next to Blizzard and draped a wing over her.

"Hi, sleepyhead." He said.

The Ice dragoness yawned, sitting up.

"I was wondering when you'd be back." She stated, happily rubbing the top of her head against William's chin.

"Well, I'm here now."

"I can see that." Blizzard snickered.

"Say, Blizzard, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, William. What is it?"

"How would you react if I became the Guardian of Ice, after my father steps down?"

The Ice dragoness gave William an odd look.

"What makes you ask something like that?"

"Well, father offered to have me take up a Guardian apprenticeship, so that I can take his place when he has to step down."

"Hmm... If you become a Guardian, you'll gain a lot of respect from the populace. Plus, you definitely wouldn't have to worry about making a living."

"So, you think I should take up the apprenticeship?" William asked.

"Is it something you want to do?' Blizzard replied. "You don't sound too sure about it."

"I don't really know if it's what I want to do. That's why I wanted your opinion."

Blizzard hugged The Black-and-White dragon.

"Whatever you want to do, I'll support you completely."

William hugged the dragoness back, smiling.

"Thank you, Blizzard."

The two young dragons continued holding their embrace.

As they did this, they were completely unaware that they were being spied upon.

...

The Grey and Brown dragons floated in the air by the balcony, just outside of view.

"Blegh." Vitari grunted. "I could never stand such idiotic emotions between couples. It's so annoyingly cheesy."

"As if you were an authority on the subject." Vincent stated coldly. "How can you judge others' romances when you've had none yourself?"

"Shut up, Vince." The dragoness snapped. The Grey dragon sighed.

"In any case, we must return to Master Zevron's stronghold." He declared. "The Black-and-White one has continued to grow stronger every day, as have Spyro and Cynder. He must launch the attack immediately, before they grow too strong to handle."

"Good idea." Vitari agreed. "Let's go."

In a moment, the two dragons vanished in clouds of smoke, travelling far to the east in an instant.

...

A Massive chunk of the enormous forest had been burned to ashes, replaced with a great, open plain. The Southern end of the plain was exposed to a massive ocean.

A massive number of Grublins was clustered in that plain, organized into two great flanks.

Vlad walked down the front row, inspecting the many battle-ready Grublins who awaited orders. After he finished, he came to a stop before the monsters on the Western edge of the Plain.

"Be ready to march after our Master's order!" Vlad roared.

Not a single Grublin stood out of line or spoke up.

As this happened, the Black dragon walked out of the cave and stood beside the Green dragon.

"How many are there?" He asked Vlad.

"Roughly two thousand strong." The Green dragon answered. Zevron grinned.

"Good."

A moment later, Vitari and Vincent appeared before Zevron and Vlad.

"Welcome back." The Green dragon stated.

"Spyro, Cynder and the Black-and-White one have continued to grow in power." Vincent declared. "If we are to slay them, we must do so immediately."

"I see.." Zevron replied.

The Black dragon turned to face the army.

"Here me now, Grublins!" He roared.

The entire army gave the Black dragon their attention.

"You are to march towards Warfang and bring the city to its knees!"

The Grublins all roared in bloodlust.

Zevron, meanwhile, turned around to face his Furies.

"Vlad, you will take control of the Left flank. Vincent, the Right flank is yours."

"Yes, Master." The two said in unison.

"If you see the Black-and-White one, make sure he stays out of the way. Spyro and Cynder are **my** targets."

"What shall **I** do, Master?" Vitari asked.

Zevron gave the Grey dragoness a cold look. He pointed towards the cave with a talon.

"Wait there." He commanded. "I will appear there shortly."

"Uh, yes, Master."

Vitari turned and walked towards the cave. In the meantime, Zevron turned back towards Vlad and Vincent.

"Begin the march towards Warfang."

"With pleasure, Master." The two replied.

With no further intrusions, the massive army began marching through the forest, heading West towards Warfang, Vlad and Vincent at the lead of each flank.

As this happened, Zevron turned and walked back to the cave, where Vitari was waiting patiently for him.

"Why aren't I joining in the march, Master?" The Grey dragoness asked.

Zevron walked up to her, gazing as cold as ever.

"I have a much more important role for you to play, Vitari."

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Zevron's eyes glowed Deep Red. An instant later, Vitari fell backwards onto the ground and rolled around onto her back, her belly exposed to the Black dragon.

"What are you-?"

"There may come a time when I fail in my mission to avenge Lord Malefor." Zevron stated. "I must make sure that his bloodline isn't extinguished..."

Vitari gasped in delight.

"You mean...?"

"After this night, I order you to stay hidden. Make sure that no one knows of your existance."

"As you command, my Master."

The Black dragon climbed on top of the Gey dragoness.

As they mated, the army of Grublins continued on its march.

They would not arrive until daybreak.


	13. The Sacrifice

Chapter 12: The Sacrifice

William was woken up by the sound of countless screams. He shot up from the cushion and stood on his feet.

"What in the world?" He shouted.

He ran to the balcony and looked out at the city.

Almost all of the many buildings in Warfang were engulfed inflames. Numerous Grublins ran amock in the streets, killing Moles and Cats left and right.

"BY THE ANCESTORS!" William exclaimed.

Suddenly, Blizzard woke with a start.

"What's wrong, William?" She asked.

"You've got to see this!" He shouted to her. "Warfang is in flames!"

The Ice dragoness got up from the cushion and walked out onto the balcony. When she saw the state it was in, she gasped in fright.

"What do we do?" She screamed.

"Go find the Guardians and see if they already know what's happening." William commanded. "I'm going to go put a stop to this."

Blizzard walked forwards and hugged William tightly.

"Promise me you'll be okay." She said. The Black-and-White dragon smiled.

"Okay, I promise."

William kissed Blizzard on the nose, turned around, and took off into flight. The Ice dragoness sobbed as he left.

"Be careful, my love."

...

Spyro and Cynde flew through the steets of Warfang, the two dragons using their respective Fire and Poison breaths to reduce any Grublins they encountered to nothing.

The city streets were littered with the smoldering debris of many fallen buildings. The air was filled with the screams and battlecries of many dragons, Moles and Cats.

"I thought the Grublins were eliminated when we defeated Malefor!" Spyro shouted to the Black dragoness. "What are they still doing alive?"

"I don't know!" Cynder shouted back, killing another Grublin. "But we've got to get rid of them anyway!"

"Don't waste your time!" A booming voice declared.

Suddenly, two great dragons, a Green one and a Grey one, appeared in Spyro and Cynder's view. The two older dragons came to a landing on the ground and stared at the Purple and Black dragons.

"Who are you?" Spyro demanded, coming to a landing and staring at his opponents.

"We are two of the Furies." The Green one declared. "I am Vladimir, Fury of Acid."

"And I am Vincent, Fury of Pain." The Gey one added.

"So **you're** the Furies, huh?" Cynder stated, glaring. "I was under the impression that Malefor killed you all."

"That statement is both true and untrue." Vlad declared. "Malefor killed the first generation of the Furies. The two of us were granted Fury status many years later, by the new leader of our group."

"New leader?" Spyro repeated. "And who would that be?"

Suddenly, a deep voice, cold voice spoke to Spyro and Cynder from behind.

"Turn around and find out."

Immediately, Spyro and Cynder spun around, and gasped in surprise.

They found themselves staring face to face with a Black dragon, who appeared to be about half a dozen years older than them.

"This is a meeting long overdue, Cynder." The Black dragon stated.

"Who are you?" Cynder demanded.

"Do I not look familiar?" The older Black dragon asked. "Do the shape of my three horns not ring a bell? How about my Yellow eyes? They also belonged to the dragon that you and the Purple whelp KILLED!"

Spyro and Cynder flinched in alarm. The older Black dragon snarled.

"I am Zevron." He declared. "Leader of the new Furies, and son of Malefor!"

The Black dragoness gasped.

"Malefor had a son?" She asked.

"Yes." Zevron answered, stepping forwards. "I'm sure he never spoke of me around anyone, though. He didn't want to reveal that he mated with one of the original Furies."

"What?" Spyro asked.

"Enough banter." The older Black dragon declared. "You two murdered my father. For that, you must persish!"

"Vlad, Vincent. Make sure the Black-and-White one doesn't interfere."

"Yes, master!" The two Furies said in unison, taking off for flight.

Spyro and Cynder, meanwhile, got into battle stances, snarling. Zevron, meanwhile, stood perfectly still, doing nothing.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" Cynder demanded.

"I don't have to do a thing." The Fury replied. "After all, you two can do well enough on your own."

"You must be out of your-!"

Suddenly, Cynder started twitching violently and fell to the ground.

"CYNDER!" Spyro shouted, horrified. Zevron chuckled, which enraged the Purple dragon.

"What you done to her?" He demanded, charging forwards.

"I did **this**." Zevron replied.

Instantly, Spyro started twiching as well, and fell down to the ground.

The Purple and Black dragons writhed about uncontrollably on the ground, while Zevron laughed.

"What is this?" Cynder shouted.

"A powerful force known as the Blood element." Zevron stated. "As the name implies, I can control your very blood, and use you as mere puppets to carry out my will."

"You bastard!" Spyro roared.

"Oh, my bastardization has yet to begin." The Fury chuckled.

Suddenly, Spyro and Cynder got back onto their feet, though not of their own accord. They turned to face each other, both of them getting into battle stances.

"What in the world?" Cynder exclaimed, shocked.

"Now, let's see what happens when you turn against each other." Zevron declared.

In an instant, The Purple and Black dragons attacked each other.

...

William dashed through the city streets, blasting every single Grublin he saw with his Nothingness energy. One by one, the monsters withered away, while the Black-and-White dragon grew in power.

"There're so many of them!" He shouted.

Suddenly, a burst of acidic goo came flying at William from out of nowhere, splashing against his wing. He howled in pain as he came crashing out of the sky.

"What the?"

Without warning, a Grey dragon came flying out of the sky and tackled William, pinning him against a building. As his opponent's talons pierced the Black-and-White dragon's flesh, horrible pain exploded throughout his body, as if he were being burned alive from the inside out.

A Green dragon came to a landing beside the other one.

"So, you're the dragon who had a hand in Bruneth's defeat." The Green one stated. "Vitari was right, yours is a hide I've never seen before."

"WHO ARE YOU TWO?" William screamed, crying from the intense pain.

"We are Vladimir and Vincent, the Furies of Acid and Pain." The Grey one responded coldly. "And you, my friend, shall soon be no more. Vlad, hit him while he's pinned."

"Aye." The Geen Fury agreed.

He inhale a large breath of air, ready to strike the pinned dragon with another blast of acid.

"NO!" William roared.

Without thinking, the Black-and-White dragon fought through his intense agony and blasted Vincent right in the face with a blast of Nothingness.

The Grey Fury screamed in horror and reelled backwards as his face was slowly-but-surely dissolved.

"WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?" He screamed, his eyes being reduced to ash.

William, now relieved of his pain, proceeded to strike Vincent with several more blasts of Nothingness. Vlad stopped charging his magic and watched in horror as his companion was reduced to absolutely nothing before his eyes. William, in the meantime, proceeded to recover to full health, his wing completely healed.

Not wanting to take his chances, the Green Fury turned his tail and fled as fast as he could.

"Oh no you don't!" William roared.

The Black-and-White dragon shot through the air, tackled Vlad, and pinned him to the ground, a forepaw over the green dragon's neck.

"Spare me! PLEASE!" The Green dragon begged.

"Why should I let a crusty little punk like you go free!" William demanded.

"I only joined Master Zevron's ranks to avoid being slain!" Vlad pleaded. "All I ever do is follow his and the other Fury's orders! I'm just a middle-man!"

"You're just a coward, then!" The Black-and-White dragon stated. "You do whatever anyone tells you to save your own skin! Even now, you're begging for your life, while a moment ago you would've happily killed me!"

"I'm SORRY! I swear it!" Vlad shouted. "I see now that it was foolish to challenge someone of your power! Don't kill me! PLEASE!"

"Oh, shut up!" William demanded. Vlad whimpered.

"I'll let you live, if you swear to run away and never look back. UNDERSTAND?" William pressed harder on Vlad's neck.

"Alright! Alright!" The Green Fury pleaded. "I understand! Just let me go! PLEASE!"

William rolled his eyes and got off of the Green Fury, letting him get back onto his feet. Vlad the turned to flee the city, though not before turning back to William one last time.

"Zevron is currently about to kill Spyro and Cynder! You must hurry if you are to stop him!"

The Black-and-White dragon gasped.

"Where are they?" He shouted.

"The Market district!"

Immediately, Wililam turned and fled to the other side of the city. In the meantime, Vlad continued on his way out of Warfang. As he left, the Green fury silently sneered to himself

"Have fun dying, you wretch."

...

Cynder fell to the ground, barely able to move. Her body was covered in a massive number of bleeding wounds.

Spyro was covered in bleeding wounds as well, though he was still standing. He had just struck the Black dragoness to the ground; Blood tainted his talons.

The Blood of both dragons was splashed allover the street.

"Cynder, I'm sorry!" He shouted, crying a river of tears. "I'm so sorry!"

The dragoness got back up onto her feet, walked over to Spyro, and slashed him across the face. The Purple dragon fell backwards, howling in pain.

Zevron stood nearby, laughing a horrible, deep laugh.

"If only father decided to take on a hands-on approach like this when you faced him." The Black dagon chuckled. "This is so much simpler."

"STOP IT!" Cynder pleaded as Spyro got back onto hs feet. "Stop making us do this!"

"Poor little Cynder..." Zevron stated. "You grew up living a life of Darkness, doing horrible things to innocent dragons. Then Spyro comes along, defeats you, and turns you into a normal dragoness, who's of course shunned by society at large."

"Shut up!" Spyro roared, slashing Cynder across the side.

"After being captured by Gaul, vanishing for three years, and having a long, strenuous adventure across the land, you finally find love in the form of the Purple dragon."

"Stop this! Please!" Cynder screamed, stabbing Spyro in the belly.

"Isn't it ironic that you two are now about to kill each other? Really, who could've imagined that your relationship would sour so rapidly?"

Suddenly, a new voice shouted throughout the area.

"What in the world?"

William came flying out of the sky and came to a landing between the bleeding-to death dragons.

"What are you two DOING?" He demanded.

"He's making us do this!" Cynder declared, referring to Zevron.

The Black-and-White dragon turned and glared at the Black-hided Fury.

"You..."

"Ah, it's the Black-and-White dragon from the forest." Zevron declared. "It's nice to finally meet you in person. As you can see, you're much too late to interfere."

"Stop this! NOW!" William demanded, rage fueling his voice.

"Oh, I'll stop it, all right..."

Suddenly, both Spyro and Cynder reached up with a forepaw and grabbed their own necks, both of them driving their talons into their throats. William gasped in horror.

"NO!" He screamed.

In an instant, the two dragons fell down to the ground, bleeding rapidly from their necks. As they died, they looked over into each other's eyes and said each other's names.

"...Spyro..."

"...Cynder..."

And then, the two young dragons spoke no more.

Zevron laughed in victory!

"The deed is done!" He declared with pride. "Spyro and Cynder are no more! Malefor's bloodline has one the day!"

The Black-and-White dragon seethed with rage.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He Bellowed.

William's body became covered in a thick, Black-and-White aura, and his scales' color became ethereal, flowing like a liquid. His eyes became pitch black., and his irises became slanted like a cat's.

Zevron watched with amazement.

"Unbelieveable..." He said. "Whatever that power is, it's a sight to behold.

"_I'll use it to DESTROY you!_" The Black-and-White dragon bellowed, his voice becoming oddly ethereal.

"I have a better idea: Use it do destroy Warfang!"

In an instant, William started twitching violently. The Black-and-White dragon started losing control of his body.

"_What's going on?_" He shouted.

"You're becoming another of my puppets." Zevron declared.

The Black dragon took off into flight, hovering in midair before the Black-and-White dragon as he writhed about violently.

"Now then: DESTROY WARFANG!"

Immediately, a massive amount of Nothingness came flying out of William's body, pouring onto the street.

The Black-and-White energy quickly flooded the streets of the city. Each and every one of the buildings was dissolved down into absolutely nothing, being replaced by more Nothingness. Thousands of creatures, Dragon, Mole, Cat and Grublin, had their lifeforces reduced to pure energy as the Nothingness destroyed them.

_I.. I can't stop..._ William thought, horrified.

Zevron cackled with glee.

"And now, the Temple!"

Immediately, the flood of Nothingness energy splashed over the ancient temple, completely consuming it. In almost an instant, the Dragon Temple was no more. Every one who lived there, every person who called him friend or family, was reduced to nothing.

The Black-and-White dragon was horrified.

"_Wh.. What have you done...?_"He asked, tears pouring from his unnatural eyes.

"It is what YOU have done." Zevron stated. "You have unleashed your full power, and brought Chaos to the city of Warfang. Complete and Utter Chaos. Your loved ones are gone, because of you."

William was horrified.

Time seemed to freeze as the Black-and-White dragon flashed back through his memories, remembering all the happy moments he had experienced since he arrived in the Dragon Realms: Cyril telling him that he was his father, the night of the festival of the Day of the Bonds, and most important of all, the night he confessed his love for Blizzard.

_"William... there's something I want to tell you, but I'm afraid that I'll look stupid."_

_"You won't look stupid. Go ahead and tell me."_

_"Okay... William... I love you. I know we only met recently, but I really do. You're the kindest dragon I've met in a long time. You brought me to a place to stay when you could've left me on my own. And then you saved me when that monster attacked me... I've been alone for so long. But when I'm with you, I feel complete."_

_"I feel the same way."_

_"So, you..."_

_"I love you too. When that Bruneth character hurt you, I couldn't bear to see you in such pain. And when he declared what he intended to do to you, I became so enraged that I went over the edge. I didn't want to lose you after meeting you so soon. I'd give my own life to keep you from losing yours."_

_"You'll never lose me."_

William remembered those last few words. They repeated over and over in his head.

_...You'll never lose me..._

The Black-and-White dragon flared with rage. Because of Zevron, those words were now a lie.

"_You'll pay for this..._" He snarled.

Suddenly, Zevron started twitching violently.

"What?" He shouted, alarmded.

"_YOU! WILL! PAY!_"

In an instant, all of the Nothingness energy started flowing out of William's body, and started flowing **into** it. Bit by bit, the massive flood of energy started dissappearing out of existance through the Black-and-White dragon's body.

Soon, once most of the Nothingness energy had returned to William's body, the Black-and-White dragon opened his mouth and fired a massive beam of Nothingness at the Black dragon.

Zevron gasped in horror.

The Fury tried to flee from the attack, but the Nothingness pursued him like a bullet. In an instant, the Black-and-White energy pierced right through Zevron's chest, tearing through it like a knife through warm butter. Bit by bit, the Black dragon was dissolved into nothing.

"NOOOOO!" He screamed, writhing in agony.

Soon, the son of Malefor was no more.

With the threat dealt with, William finally calmed down, and his body returned to normal. He fell to the ground, and looked around at what remained of Warfang.

Everything was gone. The Buildings, the people, even the plantlife was seemed to be completely erased from existance.

"Gone..." He stammered, beginning to cry. "It's all gone... Spyro, Cynder, Father, even Blizzard."

The Black-and-White dragon collapsed onto the ground, crying at the loss of eveything he held dear.

"WHY? Why did this happen? How could I let Zevron take control of me?"

William laid ont he ground, his miserable face buried in the dirt...

Soon, the Black-and-White dragon felt a powerful presence nearby. He looked up , and was surprised to see the face of Ignitus frowning down at him.

"Ignitus?" He asked, getting up to face the aged dragon.

"Why are you despairing, young dragon?"

"They're gone, Ignintus!" William declared, feeling ashamed. "They're all gone! All because of ME! Some Protector I turned out to be!"

The Teal dragon sighed.

"All is not lost, William." He said. "You can still restore everything back to the way it was."

"How? You told me that if I unleashed too much Nothingness at one time, I'd destroy everything around me!"

"What I said was that you'd _dissolve_ everything."

"What?" William asked, confused.

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed, young dragon: All energy exists for all eternity. It merely takes different forms, and moves from place to place. The spirits of the beings you have dissolved have moved on to a different realm, while the energy that made up their bodies now rests inside you, in the form of Nothingness."

"How can I possibly restore their lives, then?"

"Through your own will, you can bring their bodies back. But know this: to call upon spirits, you will need to give up a bit of your own life energy. And to call upon so many at once, you will lose every last ounce of life you have."

"Why such a horrible price?"

"That is unfortunately the way our world works, young dragon."

William sighed.

"Well, if it'll bring everyone back, then I'll pay the price gladly."

"Good luck to you, William."

With that said, Ignitus vanished.

The Black-and-White dragon shut his eyes, and hovered up into the air.

And then, it happened.

A massive amount of Chaos energy burst out of the young dragon's body, spreading over the entire stretch of land that was the spot of the city of Warfang.

Bit by bit, the entire city was recontructed. Every building, every being, every**thing** was restored to the way it was.

Next, a great number of glowing, ethereal lights flowed out of the Black-and-White dragon's body. Each of these lights flowed out to a body that now lay on the ground, and entered inside them.

One by one, the many Dragons, Moles and Cats came back to life, and stood up on their feet. And among them were the three Guardians, as well as Sparx and Blizzard.

Once everything had been restored, William suddenly went numb. He crashed to the ground.

Nearby, Spyro and Cynder, also fully revived, ran over to each other and held each other in a loving embrace.

"Oh Spyro, I'm so sorry." Cynder said, crying. "I tried to stop attacking you, but..."

"It's okay, Cyn." The Purple dragon reassured. "I'm just as sorry as you are..."

Suddenly, the two dragons realized something.

"WILLIAM!"

The two dragons rans across the street to where William was laying, the Black-and-White dragon barely moving.

A moment later, Cyril, Terrador, Volteer and Blizzard came to a landing in the area, also rushing to see if William was alright.

"William!" Spyro shouted.

"...Spyro..." The Black-and-White dragon coughed.

"I'm right here!"

"Spyro... Cynder... I'm sorry that I couldn't stop that bastard from killing you. I should've done something sooner..."

"There's no need to be sorry!" Cynder reassured. "Zevron caught us ALL off-guard!"

"And besides, you saved us all!" Spyro added. "We couldn't ever repay you!"

William tried to chuckle, but coughed heavily.

Cyril pushed past the others and sat down besides his son.

"William..." The Ice Guardian cried a river of tears. "My son..."

"Father, I'm afraid that I have to pass on the apprenticeship to be a Guardian."

"I... I understand..."

William slowly motioned for Blizzard to sid down besides him.

"Blizzard, I'm sorry..." He said, crying.

A waterfall of tears fell from the Ice dragoness's face as she kissed him on the head. She then started singing to the Black-and-White dragon.

The first time ever I saw your face  
I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave  
To the dark and the empty skies, my love,  
To the dark and the empty skies.

William placed both of his forepaws around Blizzard in a hug and sung back.

The first time ever I kissed your mouth  
And felt your heart beat close to mine  
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird  
That was there at my command, my love  
That was there at my command.

After this, William's body started dissolving into nothing. He and Blizzard looked into each other's eyes as they sung together.

And the first time ever I lay with you  
I felt your heart so close to mine  
And I knew our joy would fill the earth  
And last till the end of time my love  
It would last till the end of time my love

William was almost gone as he and his love said the last verse of the song.

The first time ever I saw your face, your face,  
your face, your face

Blizzard slowly watched her beloved slowly became nothing. He managed to whisper one last thing to her in her mind.

_I love you._

Blizzard smiled and whispered in her mind,

_I love you too._

And then, William was gone.

A swath of storm clouds appeared in the sky, and a great rainstorm came into existance, hiding the sunset on the horizon.


	14. Epilogue

Chapter 13: Epilogue

William found himself floating around in a great Green abyss. Countless spirits floated around before him, some moaning, while others were silent as the grave. An eeries, otherworldy air hung about him. Of in the distance was a massive, Purple sphere, constructed entiredly of Crystals. A series of floating platforms surrounded the crystal, hanging weightlessly in the abyss.

"What _is_ this place?" William wondered out loud.

Suddenly, a bizarre, ethereal voice spoke to him from out of nowhere.

"_You have entered into the Underworld, young dragon._"

"Who's there?" William shouted, alarmed.

Soon, several large, transclucent spirits floated into William's view. Each of them gave off an incredibly powerful aura of magic.

"Who are you?" He asked, frightened.

"_There is no need to fear us, Protector._" One of them said.

"_We are the Ancient Spirits, or so your kind has labeled us._" Another one said.

William sat down on one of the hunks of rock beneath him.

"Why have you come before me?" He asked.

"_You have done a great service for a great many dragons, just as Spyro has._" A third spirit began.

"_However, your duty has not yet reached its end You must return to the living world, and see your prophecy fulfilled._"

"What do you mean?" William demanded. "I defeated Zevron, didn't I? The Prophecy's bee fulfilled!"

"_That is untrue._" The fourth spirits declared. "_You may have defeated Malefor's son, but there is another, much greater force of evil waiting to wreak havoc on the world. And it is up to you to make sure they are defeated._"

"Who is it?"

One of the spirits floated up to William and placed a talon on the Black-and-White dragon's forehead.

Instantly, the shadowy image of a dragoness appeared before his mind. The dragoness was very unsual in appeareance. She had no tailblade or bachspikes to speak of. Instead of three digits on each paw, she had four. And instead of a crest, she had a large, bushy black.. _something_ growing on her head.

"What in the world?" William shouted. "I've never seen a dragon like THAT before!"

"_A great many more are going to appear in the coming years, Protector. And some of them will have abilities you've never seen before._"

"How will I know which one is the dragon I'm after?"

"_One day, when you look upon her, you will see the evil within her shining through her eyes._"

"What do you mean by that?"

"_You will understand when the time comes._"

"Do you know where she is?"

"_She currently walks the Dragon realms as we speak, but she is still very young._"

One of the Spirits summoned an orb of Light into his forepaw and struck William in the chest.

"What are you doing?"

"_Do not be alarmed, young dragon. We are reviving you; granting you a new body. You will find yourself just outside the Warfang Temple. You will be able to reunite with your loved ones. But know this, Protector: Your primary goal is to stop the evil dragoness before she brings about Utter Chaos for the dragon race._"

"Alright..."

The Black-and-White dragon vanished in a burst of White light.

"_We will guide you to victory as best as we can._"

...

The cave in the forest.

Vlad was lying on the ground, clutching his bleeding face. The Red dragon stood over him, chuckling.

"Let THAT be a lesson to you!" He shouted. "I'm the one who gives the orders around here!"

"Yes, sir..." Vlad said, struggling to stop the bleeding. "Whatever you say..."

Vitari sat on a rock on the other side of the cave, silent as the grave. She held a forepaw over her belly, sighing.

The Red dragon walked over to the Brown dragoness, grinning.

"Why the long face, chicita?" He asked.

"None of your business." She said coldly, refusing to look at him. "Don't think for a second that I'm going to do your bidding. I only served one man in my entire life, and he's dead now."

"Suit yourself, sweetcheeks." The Red dragon said.

He turned and walked over to the entrance of the cave. He looked up at the moonlight wiht his Dark Blue eyes.

"I'm coming for you, Street Rat!" He shoutd. "And when I find you, I'll give you another mark to match the one you already have! Nobody weasels out of paying up!"


End file.
